healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2020-08-05 06:01 pm
healingbonds) wrote2020-08-05 06:01 pm
Entry tags:
Prelude to the Festival and Pride | Chapter 6
Chapter 5 << | index | >> Chapter 7
I firmly clamp down a scream of terror, and reflexively squeeze my eyelids together.
Bradley: Ah, he’s awake.
Mithra: He’s really awake. Good morning, Sir Sage.
I steel myself, and open my eyes. Trying to convince them I haven’t heard anything they’ve said, I yawn, as if I’ve just woken up.
Akira: Yaaawn...... Good morning. Huh? What’s everyone doing here?
Bradley: You’re a terrible actor. So I take it you heard everything we said?
Akira: Uu......
Mithra: What a pain. Should I take away his memories with magic?
Mithra reaches a hand towards my head while saying something horrible.
Mithra: I’m bad at this type of magic, so I might get it wrong and mess up the inside of your head, but......
Akira: Wait! Please wait! Let’s calm down and talk this through......!
I desperately dodge Mithra’s hand, and look up at the sky.
The violent blizzard has subsided. Beautiful clear blue skies spread out over a silvery world mantled in snow.
(Whoosh)
Akira: (So these are the Plains of Hope......)
The blizzard-less Plains of Hope are a magnificent, wondrous landscape of blue and silver. Patterns like waves are carved into the frozen tundra.
Surrounded by Mithra, Owen, and Bradley, I rack my brain for a way to get out of the situation in front of me.
Akira: Please reconsider sealing Oz away. A... Aren’t you getting along with each other in the magic headquarters somehow?
Mithra: Sigh...... He’s a nuisance, so.
Akira: Let’s settle this with a discussion. If there’s anything that you all hate, you can tell him......
Mithra: I hate that he’s stronger than me.
Mithra blinks his vivid green eyes, saying it like it’s nothing.
The wind — so freezing that it feels bracingly crisp — caresses and blows through Mithra’s red hair.
Mithra: It has nothing to do with whether we get along or not.
Even if Oz were family, or a friend, we’d still want to kill him. But that seems like it’d bring about trouble, so we won’t actually kill him.
A wizard stronger than me just really grates on my nerves.
I’m confused — there’s no trace of hatred or enmity in Mithra’s tone. If anything, he sounds resolutely composed.
Akira: I...... In that case, wouldn’t Bradley and Owen also view you as a nuisance?
Bradley: He is, though?
Owen: I’d like to kill him someday.
Mithra: Well, that’s how it is.
Akira: (What do I do...... I don’t get what they’re thinking......)
Thrown into confusion at the difference in our sense of values, I recall Snow and White’s words.
"Mithra, Owen, and Bradley might be mischievous, unruly children — but once you experience the atmosphere of the North for yourself, I’m sure you’ll understand."
"Why they rely only on their own strength; why they stop at nothing to protect their own survival and pride by any means necessary."
(Whoosh)
Snow: Sage!
White: Sage!
I hear the twins’ voices, and raise my own in response; I catch sight of their figures on brooms flying across the bright blue skies. They dive down hurriedly, approaching us.
Bradley: This is bad. It’s the twins.
Mithra: Should I take away the Sage’s memories?
Bradley: Cut it out. Oz will notice it if we use magic on Sage. If he does, this will all be for nothing.
Owen: Well then, shall we go with the simple method? Hey, Sir Sage.
Akira: Y-Yes......
Faintly laughing, Owen brings his face close to mine.
Owen: If you say anything unnecessary, I’ll kill you on the spot.
Akira: ............
Snow: Sage! You’re safe!
White: I’m so glad! You flew in before the blizzard stopped, so we were worried.
(Footsteps)
The twins leap off their brooms and run up to me, hugging me tight at the same time.
Mithra and the others crowd behind me as if they’re supervising me.
Mithra: He’s fine. Although I was surprised when he almost died out of nowhere.
Snow: I told you to wait until Oz put out the blizzard!
White: This is a land where even normal wizards struggle to survive! You three should know that!
Mithra: Sigh...... It was too much for even the Sage, huh.
Snow & White: Our darling Sage is a human, after all......
Mithra: Oh, right. I forgot.
Snow: I’m sorry. You went through a terrifying experience.
White: We’re here now, so everything’s all right. Don’t leave our side the entire time you’re in Northern Country.
Akira: Oh......
Snow: What’s wrong, Sage? You look pale......
Bradley claps my shoulder heartily without even giving me the chance to open my mouth.
Bradley: Well, he just saw a blizzard like that up close. Of course he’d be terrified. Right, Sage?
You’ll be all right from here onwards. Oz will be with us too. If you’re still worried, I’ll be your escort.
Akira: N-No! I’m fine......
Bradley: Don’t be shy; I’m doing this for my reward too. Snow, White. Show us to where the Central wizards are.
Snow: Got it. You’re a good boy today, Bradley.
White: Well, we did tell you over and over again that if you want your freedom as fast as possible, you have to be a good boy.
Bradley: Hmph.
Bradley lifts the corners of his mouth; he narrows his sharp eyes, smiling with satisfaction.
It is far too cold and ruthless a sneer to mistake for the pleased smile of a cocky young man.
I recall the rumours about Bradley — among the Northern wizards who dislike working together, he is the one and only man who managed to lead an organization: his gang of bandits.
In contrast to his vulgar, flashy appearance and actions, he is sly, far-sighted, and shrewd.
Bradley snaps his fingers, and his broom materializes into empty space.
Bradley: All right. Let’s go, Sage. I’ll let you hop on.
Akira: Ah...... I’ll, uh, go with Snow and White......
Bradley: Idiot. I said you didn’t need to be shy, didn’t I?
Bradley smiles, grabbing my arm. The next instant, he shoots up into the sky.
Akira: ............!
Chapter 5 << | index | >> Chapter 7
I firmly clamp down a scream of terror, and reflexively squeeze my eyelids together.
Bradley: Ah, he’s awake.
Mithra: He’s really awake. Good morning, Sir Sage.
I steel myself, and open my eyes. Trying to convince them I haven’t heard anything they’ve said, I yawn, as if I’ve just woken up.
Akira: Yaaawn...... Good morning. Huh? What’s everyone doing here?
Bradley: You’re a terrible actor. So I take it you heard everything we said?
Akira: Uu......
Mithra: What a pain. Should I take away his memories with magic?
Mithra reaches a hand towards my head while saying something horrible.
Mithra: I’m bad at this type of magic, so I might get it wrong and mess up the inside of your head, but......
Akira: Wait! Please wait! Let’s calm down and talk this through......!
I desperately dodge Mithra’s hand, and look up at the sky.
The violent blizzard has subsided. Beautiful clear blue skies spread out over a silvery world mantled in snow.
(Whoosh)
Akira: (So these are the Plains of Hope......)
The blizzard-less Plains of Hope are a magnificent, wondrous landscape of blue and silver. Patterns like waves are carved into the frozen tundra.
Surrounded by Mithra, Owen, and Bradley, I rack my brain for a way to get out of the situation in front of me.
Akira: Please reconsider sealing Oz away. A... Aren’t you getting along with each other in the magic headquarters somehow?
Mithra: Sigh...... He’s a nuisance, so.
Akira: Let’s settle this with a discussion. If there’s anything that you all hate, you can tell him......
Mithra: I hate that he’s stronger than me.
Mithra blinks his vivid green eyes, saying it like it’s nothing.
The wind — so freezing that it feels bracingly crisp — caresses and blows through Mithra’s red hair.
Mithra: It has nothing to do with whether we get along or not.
Even if Oz were family, or a friend, we’d still want to kill him. But that seems like it’d bring about trouble, so we won’t actually kill him.
A wizard stronger than me just really grates on my nerves.
I’m confused — there’s no trace of hatred or enmity in Mithra’s tone. If anything, he sounds resolutely composed.
Akira: I...... In that case, wouldn’t Bradley and Owen also view you as a nuisance?
Bradley: He is, though?
Owen: I’d like to kill him someday.
Mithra: Well, that’s how it is.
Akira: (What do I do...... I don’t get what they’re thinking......)
Thrown into confusion at the difference in our sense of values, I recall Snow and White’s words.
"Mithra, Owen, and Bradley might be mischievous, unruly children — but once you experience the atmosphere of the North for yourself, I’m sure you’ll understand."
"Why they rely only on their own strength; why they stop at nothing to protect their own survival and pride by any means necessary."
(Whoosh)
Snow: Sage!
White: Sage!
I hear the twins’ voices, and raise my own in response; I catch sight of their figures on brooms flying across the bright blue skies. They dive down hurriedly, approaching us.
Bradley: This is bad. It’s the twins.
Mithra: Should I take away the Sage’s memories?
Bradley: Cut it out. Oz will notice it if we use magic on Sage. If he does, this will all be for nothing.
Owen: Well then, shall we go with the simple method? Hey, Sir Sage.
Akira: Y-Yes......
Faintly laughing, Owen brings his face close to mine.
Owen: If you say anything unnecessary, I’ll kill you on the spot.
Akira: ............
Snow: Sage! You’re safe!
White: I’m so glad! You flew in before the blizzard stopped, so we were worried.
(Footsteps)
The twins leap off their brooms and run up to me, hugging me tight at the same time.
Mithra and the others crowd behind me as if they’re supervising me.
Mithra: He’s fine. Although I was surprised when he almost died out of nowhere.
Snow: I told you to wait until Oz put out the blizzard!
White: This is a land where even normal wizards struggle to survive! You three should know that!
Mithra: Sigh...... It was too much for even the Sage, huh.
Snow & White: Our darling Sage is a human, after all......
Mithra: Oh, right. I forgot.
Snow: I’m sorry. You went through a terrifying experience.
White: We’re here now, so everything’s all right. Don’t leave our side the entire time you’re in Northern Country.
Akira: Oh......
Snow: What’s wrong, Sage? You look pale......
Bradley claps my shoulder heartily without even giving me the chance to open my mouth.
Bradley: Well, he just saw a blizzard like that up close. Of course he’d be terrified. Right, Sage?
You’ll be all right from here onwards. Oz will be with us too. If you’re still worried, I’ll be your escort.
Akira: N-No! I’m fine......
Bradley: Don’t be shy; I’m doing this for my reward too. Snow, White. Show us to where the Central wizards are.
Snow: Got it. You’re a good boy today, Bradley.
White: Well, we did tell you over and over again that if you want your freedom as fast as possible, you have to be a good boy.
Bradley: Hmph.
Bradley lifts the corners of his mouth; he narrows his sharp eyes, smiling with satisfaction.
It is far too cold and ruthless a sneer to mistake for the pleased smile of a cocky young man.
I recall the rumours about Bradley — among the Northern wizards who dislike working together, he is the one and only man who managed to lead an organization: his gang of bandits.
In contrast to his vulgar, flashy appearance and actions, he is sly, far-sighted, and shrewd.
Bradley snaps his fingers, and his broom materializes into empty space.
Bradley: All right. Let’s go, Sage. I’ll let you hop on.
Akira: Ah...... I’ll, uh, go with Snow and White......
Bradley: Idiot. I said you didn’t need to be shy, didn’t I?
Bradley smiles, grabbing my arm. The next instant, he shoots up into the sky.
Akira: ............!
Chapter 5 << | index | >> Chapter 7