Glass Magic

Chapter 50

I've had someone ask what I consider a short chapter, so, I figured I might as well tell you all, any chapter under eight hundred words is short, my chapters usually ranging from eight hundred to two thousand words.

         I... I don't know what to say. I didn't expect much but this... I didn't think she'd be a living skeleton... I couldn't honestly tell you just how bad it was, her cheeks were caved in and her eyes sunk in, no muscle or fat anywhere on her body, just skin and bone. Licking my lips I took a slow breath and looked at the small stack of books.

      "Can you carry the books?" I asked softly, slowly walking over to her to make sure she was truly breathing. She was.

        "Y-yeah..." Nodding I curling my lips into my mouth before carefully wrapping her in the blanket. Lifting her up I glanced at him while he stared at me surprised. I didn't look like I was as strong as I was but she was so light it shouldn't have been a shock that I could lift her.

      We silently made our way back to the carriage, the length of my dress finally appreciated. "... Leaving so soon?" Came the careful call of the older man while I shot him a sharp look.

       "No need to worry, we'll be able to look at the weaponry without so much as a pit stop," Two red summoning circles appearing before me as they both jumped back, knowing the things I summoned to be dangerous. The two faceless figures raising from it, one carefully taking the girl in my arms while the boy froze unsurely. 

      Taking the books in his arms I placed them roughly in the older man's and opened my purse, pulling out five gold coins I placed them in his hand before closing it for him. "Now, I promise both you and your sister will be safe and have nothing to worry over, but, this might be a little frightening," He opened his mouth to ask what I was talking about but the second one already scooped him up.

         Placing my hands on their back with a sigh I closed my eyes and mumbled the chant I had skimmed over while getting dolled up, heat rushing through my arms as my stomach clenched. Opening my eyes I found a magic circle wrapped around my wrists and hovering under my touch.

        "Wings," I called, two pairs of large obsidian wings spreading on their backs before they both leap into the sky. Rewriting the original structure. It wasn't like removing claws or changing hands to swords, hammers, or axes, it was giving it a new way to use magic, a new purpose. "Now, I believe you two fancy weaponry over books," I said watching them fly away.

     "You can make angels," He stated while I didn't comment. Angels. A fools tale really. Winged humanoids with more power than a spirit, technically a holy beast, they were the messengers of the gods. Thought to live within the stars.  Not commenting I pulled the end of my dress up and climbed into the carriage all on my own. Sitting among the many books I had bought.

       "Of course you found something to read," came an almost sarcastic voice while I glanced at the boy who was looking at a short sword with a dagger design. Looking back at the scroll silently I carefully rolled it.

        "I would like to purchase this and any other scrolls you happen to have," I smiled at the largely scared man. He nodded stiffly pulling one more from behind his stall.

        "Three silvers," Holding his gaze for a long moment knowing he was overcharging me solely because this was written in Occeanbic I pulled a less than sweet smile.

      "Of course, but if you don't mind, mind telling me what it says?" I asked and it was his turn to remain silent while we stared at one another. 

       "Two silvers,"

       "One and ten coppers," I said flatly as we took up another staring contest, which he looked away for.

       "Alright," Tossing his the coins I slid the scrolls in my bag as the weapon district wasn't big enough to pull a carriage through.

       "I didn't know you were capable of actually haggling," The borderline sarcasm continued while I glanced at him not expected it, his keen gaze still following my every move but he wasn't as uptight and soulless.

       "I only pay for what somethings worth," I hummed, "And just so you know, that sword isn't worth anything more than a copper," He glanced at the blade in his hand before looking at me again.

      "What makes you say that?"

      "It's only that light because it's hallow," I turned to look at a different stall while he looked back at the blade surprised by the accusation. I heard a low whistle from behind me while I skimmed the engagement daggers of a different stall. Truly beautiful blades.

       "How'd you figure that out? I wouldn't have noticed if you didn't point it out,"

       "It was perfectly crafted meaning it either came out of a mold or was made with alchemy, the dagger design was clearly made for a smaller blade and you can't change a recipe just because, so, in exchange for making it bigger, they hollowed it out," I mumbled gently running my finger over an opal blade.

        "That's... Not something people usually notice,"

        "Look, Reaper, you've seen what I can do with the smallest of glances or thoughts of recipes and names, so tell me why you're suddenly so curious, or better yet, why you're suddenly acting all buddy buddy," I wasn't a fool. His eyes haven't lightened in the least, still soulless, he's pretending and it's annoying.

         "Windsor, you're a glass user in the best lead school there is, you're magic's unlike anything I've seen and you know things that shouldn't even be possible, I want to know why,"

        "You want to know how," I corrected sharply looking over my shoulder, his smile gone as he stared at me coldly, just as he had before. "You want to know what I do for the simple fact that if you could control what I do you'd truly be untouchable and no one could question whether or not you were a true lead, which, spoiler, you aren't," 

       "I'll be at your school next year, that alone proves I'm a-"

       "It proves nothing other than the fact you're strong enough, lead schools aren't complicated to get into if you aren't one, you simply show your worth, and something tells me you've got a... Trick up your sleeve. That very trick being why you're standing is how it is, you aren't a lead, you just play lead," He shut his trap fast, he hadn't used more than a few icicles in the arena, even if he withstood an explosion it could easily be chalked up to water or ice manipulation. So his little secret isn't something I should know.

         "You want to talk about magic unlike any other, why don't we talk about yours? Unless, of course, you got in the school for a completely different reason, not a warped sense of superiority. Or, in your case, inferiority,"

       "... You're sharper than you look," Sighing as I turned to the table, his father's appearance meaning I couldn't get anything out of him.

        "I'm a rogue, I can't help but notice all kinds of fun things," I met his gaze from the corner of my eye. "Really fun things,"