Lyra's head lay on the table as she tried to get rid of the oncoming headache after dealing with the rabbit Onyx and the bookworm Sami. Like, seriously, all she wanted to do was go hunting for food, yet somehow got drained of magic to help fund a fight she wasn't even a part of.
Don't forget that not only did Sami find The Minotaur from ancient history, but he also found THE MINOTAUR, and won. To top it off, he found the Minotaur's mom. How does it happen? Lyra just didn't want to think about it as Onyx hummed happily, sipping small slurps of the stew.
"I think you broke Lyra," Onyx giggled as she chewed on a bite of deer meat.
Sami, putting down his spoon finally, looked worriedly at Lyra from across the table. "Are you okay, Lyra?" he questioned.
"UGHHHHHH," Lyra let out a loud moan as she kept hitting her head on the table.
"Come on, Lyra, it's not that big of a deal," Sami started, as he tried to comfort her.
"GENERAL MERCER WILL KILL ME!" Lyra interrupted, bringing her head up to glare at him. "You know he assigned me to watch over you, and in one day you decided to go fight The Minotaur."
"I'm sorry!" Cried Sami as fake tears came out of his eyes. Lyra just glared at him in return.
Onyx just snorted, before she felt a pair of eyes on her. Pretending like she didn't notice the glare, Onyx continued eating the food. Regardless of how long it's been, she's seen the world. One thing that Onyx enjoys is cooking for people she cares about. It's one thing that relaxes her, knowing she can do something peaceful.
With the morning antics out of the way, the trio quickly finished off the morning stew. Putting whatever leftovers in the fridge for dinner that night, they started packing whatever Sami might need for the academy.
Although Sami really doesn't own much, so it didn't take long before he got things ready, including food for the trip, tents, and some passable clothes that'll work until he can get a training uniform.
Sami was sitting on the couch, holding onto the Minotaur horn, just taking a break for once from reading. Lyra was sewing together some fur or something on the floor next to the kitchen table. Onyx was laying down on the edge of the couch snoring, a little bubble forming out of her mouth.
"What is the academy like?" questioned Sami, as he glanced over at Lyra, who looked deep into whatever she was working on.
Sami let out a sigh as he was ignored. Granted, she likely didn't hear him. The ring on his right hand pulsed as if feeling his pain before becoming dull once again. Sami looked at the ring confused. So far, he had this ring for a week and still doesn't understand how it functions.
"Any future student of mine should be aware of their surroundings," a voice appeared behind the couch.
Sami startled and fell off the couch onto the ground. A person looking around his age was leaning over the edge of the couch, laughing.
"OH my stars, you should see your face!" the feminine person laughed as she bent over the couch.
Lyra, hearing the commotion, stood up, being careful not to disturb the project she's been working on. Seeing Sami on the floor looking back at the couch, and surprisingly Onyx still sleeping, she glanced over where Sami was looking and noticed the person laughing.
Lyra quickly bowed, surprising Sami with the suddenness of the action. "Teacher Veridian, welcome. I hope the trip here didn't cause you too much of a hassle," she squeaked. Her voice broke a little bit.
"Oh, Lyra, look at how much you've grown!" whined Veridian as she lunged over the couch at Lyra.
Lyra sidestepped the grab, as she quickly retreated towards the kitchen. Veridian ended up crashing through the coffee table, breaking it. Sami just mouthed to his teacher, confused how this person that looked almost the same age as him could be a teacher.
CRASH!
As if sensing the insult, she stood up quickly, appearing in front of Sami. "WHAT DID YOU SAY, HUH, BOY, SAY IT AGAIN!" She yelled. A deathly aura appeared around her as if she was about to attack him.
"NO, ma'am!" pleaded Sami as he quickly kowtowed at her feet. "I'm confused on who you are, and um, how you gained access to my house."
"I AM ANNA VERIDIAN, THE WOMAN WHO APPRECIATES BEAUTY FOUND IN ALL. I AM LOVER OF LOVE, AND THE GREATEST TEACHER AT ROYAL ACADEMY!" Anna shouted, spinning around as stars shot up in the sky.
"What's with all the loud noise?" Onyx squeaked out as she slowly sat up on the couch.
Anna's head snapped towards Onyx, "DID THIS RABBIT JUST TALK?!" She shouted as she rushed at Onyx, pushing Sami roughly to the ground. "SHE IS SOOOOOO CUTTEEE!!!"
Onyx looked at Sami in horror as Anna began to swing her around in circles. Anna began to crush Onyx to her chest and she kept gushing on how adorable she was.
"Pleaseeeeee!" Onyx yelled. "Sami, help me!"
"NO ONE WILL TOUCH MY PRECIOUS!" ANNA ANSWERED BACK. "COME NEAR ME, YOU WILL DIE!!! STUDENT OR NOT!" as a dark aura began to flood the house.
Sami looked on in horror, hoping this wasn't the teacher that was supposed to escort him to the academy, watching on as Onyx kept screaming for help. It couldn't get worse, right?
---
Mercer released a heavy sigh as he made his way to the infirmary. His footsteps heavy on the floor as they echoed around the hallway. Opening the door, the smell of, similar to something you'd call clean, came into his nose. Flashes of carrying his grandson to this very room went across his thoughts before ignoring them.
The room itself had ten beds split between five on each wall, and a small office in the back for the staff that works here. In the middle of the room was a small cabinet used for supplies to help with treatment. Though our healing professor is so good at restoration magic, the advancements he made alone makes it so we don't have to use as much materials.
Mercer, making his face stoic, quickly made his way to the bed in the back of the room. A nurse was helping take care of a patient, one of his students that survived the Gbahali. The nurse, seeing him, quickly bowed her head and went to the office. His student, Poke, was saved by his other one, Gin, taking a fatal hit that would've killed him.
Gin has been training under Mercer since he took over from knights training. He felt that Gin had potential so he thought pairing him with Lyra would be beneficial.
To know he failed them hurts more than anything, it's why he didn't want Sami to be involved in this life. Glancing up on the bed, the young man Poke, a recent recruit he allowed to join his attack squad, couldn't help but be upset.
Poke was already a pale man, and now he's even paler with the loss of blood recently. His blue hair looks messy as he I was asleep in bed. His body wrapped in bandages as he lay there asleep.
Mercer, shaking his head in disappointment, decided to make his way out of the hospital and start work on the upcoming school year and list of patrols for this section of the kingdom. IF Mercer would've stayed longer, he might have seen the eyes of Poke open, or the fist clenching in anger
Either way, Mercer knew Sami would be safe with Anna training him, hoping his grandson will be able to be a knight like him and not a mage, especially since someone has been hunting down mages for the last five years. He worries that someone will send an assassin to hunt him down next.
Always something Mercer has to deal with and it just feels like it's getting worse and the whole kingdom is falling apart.