The Wandering Witch VOL. 1 - The Prelude Arc (COMPLETED)

2.1| The Cost of Hospitality

( 2 )
C H E L L

A few silent seconds passed between the two of them amidst the busy crowd, neither one daring to speak or move first. Chell made no indication of taking his outstretched hand.

Finally, when the young man named Noct realized that she seemed to have no intention of acknowledging him at all, he shook his head slightly and retreated his hand. Chell had expected a look of annoyance on his face, but instead, he grinned yet even more. In an airy tone, he said, "Well, I know this is pretty sudden and confusing, but you need not be wary of me at all! I'm simply just a humble guide and gentleman who wouldn't hesitate to help any lady as pretty as you."

Chell slightly narrowed her eyes to study him, doubtful and uncertain. In that moment, the words that the dead often spoke of before echoed at the back of her mind. Remember, you must never trust anyone so easily, our Snow.

A pang of loss came over her as she recalled her missing companions. It had only been a few days since they had disappeared without warning. But even though they were not there beside Chell to guide her anymore, she decided to heed their warnings. Hesitantly, she took a preemptive step back. As she did, however, the press of the crowd caused her to bump into a stranger and Chell was forced to stagger forwards. The stranger, Noct, caught her shoulders before she could fall over.

"Whoa. Be careful," he advised, "Uldard's a pretty crowded place for someone as tiny as you--ah, no, I mean--" he started fumbling for his words, turning to look anywhere but at her because the moment Chell heard the word 'tiny' escape from his mouth, she had cast a glare at him with a look of complete menace. Immediately, she stepped back again, now aware of herself and the people around them this time.

Another few seconds of tense silence passed as the two of them regarded each other. For some reason, Chell felt unnerved by Noct's very presence and that seemingly constant smile on his face. Although this was a given for every person she always met for the first time, there was also something about him that she found cautious of, but couldn't point out what exactly. And the stranger named Noct, on the other hand, continued to look amused despite the tense atmosphere between them.

Chell blinked. Then, she realized that she hadn't offered her gratitude to him yet. As much as she felt a strange kind of uneasiness from him, he had been the one who had helped her from what could have been a grave situation after all. If Noct had not intervened between her and the hunter, Chell was certain that the result of the scene before would have ended up differently. She might have even been forced to fight against him. As a person who realized the importance of being polite, Chell knew she would have to give him her thanks for what he had done for her, even if he didn't know about it. Albeit quietly and hesitantly, she muttered to him the two words. "... Thank... Thank you."

Noct tilted his head in confusion at her. The expression on his face told Chell that he had not heard her quiet words through the noise and chatter of the crowd around them. His eyes, however, continued to shine brightly as if he didn't care at all.

"You're a newcomer to the kingdom, aren't you?" he asked, raising his voice in order to be heard over the babble. "You don't look like you know the place too well."

Chell blinked once again, then nodded. For a moment, she wondered if it had been that obvious to the others as well.

Noct laughed aloud. "No wonder! Little miss, you should know and keep in mind that here in Uldard, witches and wizards are widely... ah... unwelcomed. That's why it's better if you put your hood down, as it's only those who try to hide their faces who pull it up. Don't worry. Here, your appearance doesn't matter at all. Dye your hair and change your eye color, no one usually gives a damn. Unless, of course, in your situation--," he paused, leaning in to whisper to her, "--I'm sure you know that silver eye drops are really costly in the market. You might want to hide their color, in case the thieves mark you. There are a lot around here."

Chell looked at him with an indifferent expression as he pulled away with another grin. She had already known since a long time ago that eye drops in the hue of a bright and luminous silver were very costly to buy in the market, amounting to more than 400g, a price high enough to buy a man a reasonable-sized house. However, Chell could not tell him that the color of her eyes were not the result of eye drops. She had naturally been born with it. It had been the first sign that she was a witch.

"Hey, if you want to stay safe, I'll gladly take you to wherever you'd like to go," Noct suddenly offered with a pleasing smile this time. "I'll be your guide, as I said. I know this place inside out and memorized in my head. You can trust me."

Another brief silence passed between her and the boy. Chell gazed at his pale, faded eyes, searching for their color. Somehow, they reminded her of the translucence of her dead companions, and her thoughts were immediately called back to them. It was in situations like this where the dead usually involved themselves, she recalled. This was the moment where they were supposed to start whispering to Chell, to point out which course of action was the safest to take. She imagined them whispering into her ear, warning her on whether to give the stranger her trust or not. But of course, the familiar voices never came. They had disappeared, and she was once again reminded that she was alone.

With as little reluctance as she could manage, Chell decided to accept his offer.

It was a sudden and risky decision, one that most people would never dare to take. But Chell was at a loss of what to do without anyone to guide her. After being with the dead for so long, their words had been the ones who greatly affected the decisions she took. Now that they were gone, it felt like she didn't know what to do anymore. Besides, Chell also reasoned to herself that if the boy had any ill-intent towards her, he wouldn't have risked his safety in order to save her just now, despite having nothing to gain in return. He had been the first person she had met in the kingdom who was kind enough to offer to assist her, even though he could have easily left her at any moment he wanted. Then, there was also the fact that she didn't know where to go. She knew full well that this kind of golden opportunity didn't just happen at any time. She remembered the old man, the kindness he had given her. Perhaps this boy could offer Chell the same kindness as well.

After a moment, she finally decided to stiffly nod in reply. Noct's eyes flashed in evident joy.

"That's great!" he bowed down, gesturing politely. "So tell me, where do you wish to go, milady?"

Chell paused and stilled for a moment, studying his facial features. Noct, she noticed, really had very pale eyes. She wondered if he had dyed them himself.

Then, after another moment, she raised her voice slightly to be heard over the chatter of the people around them. "Please take me... to the inns."

Noct nodded, his mouth splitting once again into a grin. He gestured with his hand childishly. "Right. Well, just follow me!"

----> thank you for reading!

Q:

What do you think about Noct's personality?
Was Chell being too naive to agree to his offer?