Episode32-An unexpected visit.
2016 Words
When Mael saw that neither Omiri nor any other demigod was going to reveal itself to him no matter how long he stood on the Ground of Peace, he took a deep breath and left to join the others. Neither Rabbi nor Professor Mackenzie bothered him for the rest of the day, so, he just went searching for his friends. Getting back to his dormitory, it is empty. He decides to use that opportunity to freshen up before joining them for dinner. He has made up his mind to face everyone, despite whatever gossip they have going on. He is going to turn deaf ears to it and keep his shoulders up high without letting mere side talks get in the way of his greatness.
After his quick shower and change of clothes, Mael jogs to the dining hall to join the others. As soon as he enters the hall, people begin to whispers and murmurs to each other. As soon as Melody noticed the change happening, she waves excitedly at Mael.
Exhaling a breath of relief, he walks over to her, “hi, M.”
“I was so worried about you.”
“No need to be. I am fine. Better than I've ever been, in fact.”
“That is good to know.”
“Yeah. I'll talk to you later. I need to put something in my stomach. I am so hungry.”
“Okay, later.”
Mael walks over to his house table, where Harry is waiting for him to join them.
“Mael, welcome. How…?”
Cutting him off, “I am totally fine. There's nothing wrong with me. What did I miss?”
“Well, the new girl, Grenada, after the incident didn't turn up for the next class which took place in our different houses. There is a gossip that she has been stuck in the girl's bathroom crying all day and didn't want to be disturbed.”
Mael looks still more awkward at Harry, but a moment later, “why would she be in that state?”
“No one knows. Maybe girlish mood or something.”
“Hmm......” Before Mael utters another word, Duke is hugging him from the back as he seats near him.
“You are back. It is so good to have you back! How…”
“I am great, Duke. Moreover, when you say it like that, one will think that I travelled. Harry was just filling me in on the things I missed. Grenada seems to be one of them.”
“Yeah, for sure. She's a real drama queen. Wants the attention of the whole school to be on her, if not, what reason does she give to be wailing in the girl's bathroom?”
“Has anyone tried finding out what the problem seems to be?”
“It's the duty of her House prefect. Let her do it.”
Mael doesn't say anything else. Rather, he focuses on the hall, As always, candlelights shining bright in every corner, floating midair and everywhere that could accommodate them, their golden plates and cups glittering before them. As soon as the teachers enter the hall, the feast suddenly appears on their plates and cups.
A hungry Mael begins to dig into his plate, helping himself to whatever he could lay his hands on. Harry, Duke, and the rest of the students follow suit, eating to their satisfaction. From chicken and child to mashed potatoes and sauce to whatever that is edible, you can think of. Candles, cakes, cookies, brownies, strawberries, lemon, orange, grapes, baked lambs, rice, burgers, and anything that makes you salivate is on the table.
After they all had eaten to their satisfaction until they could hardly breathe, Rabbi stands to address them.
“Good evening, students!” He says loud and clear in his ever energetic and friendly voice.
“There is an uproar of response before the hall goes quiet once more.
“As always, it is a pleasure to have you all here. I am more than happy to get to see new talents yearly. The major reason why I am addressing you all is not to serve compliments, but to condemn irresponsible behaviours that have now become a part of the growing torn of our prestigious academy. One, we do not welcome gossips and rumours. The quickest way to lead a man to his death is through rumours. Please, until the proper authorities addresses issues, you are not allowed to talk about them. Not even whisper about it. Two, you do not have the right and shall not judge your fellow student. That responsibility is solely left to me and Professor Mackenzie. There was an incident during Iceology class. But, it was just an accident. No need to overthink it. Activities will continue normally and you all will cooperate. Prefects will escort their House members back to their dormitories. No sneaking out, again! Until we have a course to discuss anything else, have a lovely evening.” He takes a bow and exits the hall with his teachers, leaving the students and prefects behind.
The students are panting and finding it hard to breathe, as most of them are overfed. The prefects start guarding the students back to their various Houses. Just as Mael, Harry, and Duke with the rest of Omiri's House step outside, where a scream is heard.
“Somebody help!” The voice shouts again.
'That sounds like Grenada's voice. Come on, let us see what is wrong with her!” Mark pulls Harry along with him even before he gets a response.
“Dude, stop dragging me. I didn't agree with this. Let me go back to the dormitory and enjoy a
moment of peace with this beauty of food inside my stomach.”
A thousand live bats flicker from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swoops over the locker rooms.
“Why is she there that late in the first place?” Harry asks as they climbed the stairs.
“Don’t ask me, maybe she really wanted to be alone,” says Marl. “Maybe she got tired of the criticism and everyone making fun of her.”
“Uhm, are we talking about the same thing here?”
They pass different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they push their way through a crowd of confused students, Mael suddenly stops in his track.
“I’ve just thought — Melody.”
“What about her?”
“She went back to her dormitory. I suppose.”
Mael rubs his forehead, “you didn't make sure to see that she was alright?” he latches. “You should have made sure of that before we even left.”
“Look who is barking. You were the one that grabbed my arms, dragging with you against my will, remember? So if anyone should be mad, that should be me.”
“Fair point,” Mael grunts.
Ducking down, they join the crowd going the other way, slips down a deserted side corridor, and hurries off toward the girls’ bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.
“Melody!” hissed Mael, pulling Harry behind a large stone. Peering around it, however, they see that it is not Melody, but Professor Edward. He crosses the corridor and disappears.
“What’s he doing?” Harry whispers. “Why isn’t he with the rest of the teachers?”
“Keep quiet. Let us follow him.”
Quietly as possible, they creep along the next corridor after Edward’s fading footsteps.
“He’s heading for the holdings,” Harry says, but Mael holds up his hand.
“Can you smell something?”
Harry sniffs, and an enticing scent hits his nostrils, a mixture of the healing herbs and incense that Professor Mackenzie burned for them while they were down in the holdings. The beautiful scent is disrupted by an awful stench, more like a dark and overpowering smell coming from where they had earlier heard the scream.
Trying to still get the exact direction of the scream from earlier, they heard something more terrifying — a low grunting, hissing, and the shuffling snarking of gigantic talons. Harry points — at the end of a passage to the left, something huge is coming towards them. They shrink into the shadows and watched as it emerges into a patch of illuminating moonlight, the girl's bathroom.
It is a dreadful sight. Fourteen feet tall, its skin is a dull, green camouflage, its great slimy body a huge tree with three heads — a snake, a lion, and a dog fixed on top all linked to the neck that looks like that of a man. It has very mighty legs, and its feet could squash anything that got underneath it. It is crawling and hissing, smelling like death itself.
The creature stops next to a doorway and peers inside. Wriggling itself, it keeps hovering around that particular doorway.
“Ewww, that is one disgusting creature,” Mael whispers.
“Are you not afraid? I am shitting my pants now!” Harry whispers back.
“I'll distract it. Get Grenada out of there.”
“Me? I don't want a hand in this. Please, don't get me killed tonight.”
Before Harry could start whining about backing out, Mael is in view waving at the creature. “Hey! You ugly looking thing, come and get me if you can.”
“Omiriiiiii," snarls the creature, "you are nothing but a foolish boy. Haha, is this a joke?" Snarls the creature again.
"There is only one way to tell." Glaring deeply into the eyes of the creature, "come get this foolish little boy if you can!" He screams.
With anger and full force, the creature runs towards Mael, destroying anything on its part. Mael makes for Hunters, passes through it to somewhere else, and the creature follows. Hunter closes up, leaving trembling Harry with a scared Grenada.
"Grenada, you can come out. It is gone." Harry calls out.
Seconds later, Grenada pokes her head out from one of the doorways the creature was hovering around earlier on. Sobbing, "where did it go?"
"Somewhere not here. Are you alright?" Harry reaches for her hand.
"Do I look alright to you?" Breaking into full years, "that thing almost ate me. What did I do to deserve this?"
"Maybe spreading idiotic rumours about Mael brought this mayhem upon you," Harry inaudibly mutters.
Rushing in as Harry is trying to help Grenada up is a painting Melody. "I heard what happened." She says in-between breath.
"What are you doing here?"
"Trying to make sure that the two of you… What is she doing here?" Pointing at Grenada.
"Same as you. Being in an unwanted place at the wrong time."
"Where is Antigon?"
"He took the creature with him through Hunters to somewhere other than here."
"And both of you are here. He could hurt himself." Shaking her head in disbelief, "we need to go after him. Come on let us go."
"No. No. There is no way in this universe that I am walking through Hunters to another deadly place when I just escaped death moments ago." Harry rants.
"That is fine. You can just sit here with your girlfriend and allow the both of us to die in peace."
"Don't play the guilty card with me, young lady. You have no idea what we have been through in one night."
There is no problem. I'll see to it that Mael doesn't get hurt. Be sure to grab popcorn and soda while waiting for our return!" She screams into his face.
"He will…."
"Let me through, Hunters!" Melody commands, exciting through a passage to find Mael.
"It keeps getting interesting." Turning to Grenada, "it is safe. You can go back to the dormitory. I'll go after my friends." Turning his back to make for Hunters,
"Wait!" She says, "be careful," with a trace of careful in her tone.
"Thanks," he simply says before leaving through Hunters.
- Writer
