The Wandering Witch VOL. 2 - The Witchfolk Genocide Arc

14.1| Royal Hospitality

( 14 )
N O C T

    His mind was still spinning. After all, it was just too sudden. Simply put, it all had seemed too coincidental to be just a mere coincidence. As Noct had explained earlier in his outburst, the events that had happened so far seemed as if it was the product of some kind of lame joke. It was one misfortune after the other for both him and the witch. Then, as if to add more fuel the fire, she had now lost consciousness.

    What wonderful turn of events!, he laughed silently.

    Noct lightly shook Chell thin shoulders as she lay unconsciously on the ground, uncertain of what to do. He was crouched in a kneeling position, supporting the witch's head as it lolled unconsciously to one side. It took him a moment to realize that her breathing had become uneven and heavy. It looked as though she was suffering from a nightmare. Perhaps she is, he thought. Noct frowned slightly, shaking her once more in an attempt to wake her up. Yoko and Jul kneeled quickly next to them. Looks of worry were masked over their faces.

    "What happened?" The princess asked immediately. "What's wrong with her?"

    Noct shook his head. "I... have no idea," he answered honestly.

    Jul had an anxious expression. "Maybe... maybe she ate something weird?"

    "Um, I don't think so."

    "Has she shown any signs of sickness before today?" Yoko asked. The thief shook his head.

    She pursed her lips and reached a hand out to touch the Snow Witch's forehead to check her temperature. A few inches from Chell's pale skin, however, Noct found himself stopping her for some reason.

    "—Ah," he suddenly blurted out, surprising both the princess and himself. She froze abruptly while the thief continued with a forced smile, gritting his teeth. "Let... me."

   Yoko blinked for a moment. Hesitantly, she retracted her hand with a small, definite nod. Noct turned away from her gaze, vividly aware that he was being watched as he placed his hand over the Snow Witch's forehead, brushing away tufts of her white hair. He was worried that he had somehow overstepped his boundaries and had somehow offended the royal, afraid for his safety. He was not keen on the idea of getting another execution. However, his thoughts were immediately wrenched away from that idea, because the moment he had touched the little miss, he flinched away by reflex. An intense and unexpected heat was emanating from her skin.

    "She's burning," he said. "Almost literally."

    "Burning?" Jul sounded nervous beside him. "That... doesn't sound good..."

    All three of them went silent for a few moments, looking at the Snow Witch's sudden state. The entire alley seemed to have gone completely quiet except for the witch's uneven breathing. Noct looked down at her pained expression. It was slight, but still noticeable. What was wrong with her?

    In this kind of situation, he had no idea what to do.

    What happened to you, little miss?

    The princess was the first one who decided to act.

    "What we need to do is simple," she suddenly spoke in a firm tone, standing up straight and patting her clothes. "Noct, let us take her to the palace. We have a royal apothecary there where she can be treated immediately."

    The thief looked up at her, eyes wide and troubled. "Eh? The palace? No, no, just tell me where the nearest—"

    "I insist," she cut in curtly. "And it's also for your safety. We don't know whether she's being affected by natural causes or... magic-related causes. At the very least, we need a competent healer. Ours in the palace is a witch known for her skill in herbs and medicines. She can help. I believe in her abilities."

    "Ah, right! Grandma Wren's cures are always trustworthy!" The Falcon Witch testified loudly, nodding her head. "If we take her there, she'll be healed in no time!"

    The thief blinked at her in disbelief, then at the princess. A roll of sweat fell down the side of his face. He recalled the image of the exquisite palace he had surveyed from the hill with Chell mere hours ago. The tall towers, the elaborate architecture, the beautiful gardens. Never, in his entire life, had he imagined he would be able to enter there.

    What am I supposed to do?

    In that moment, he thought about how easy it would have been to just abandon Chell right at that moment. To leave her there in the hands of the princess and the hyperactive witch. But then, he abruptly realized that he was all alone in an unknown place without anyone to turn to. He was reminded then of the oath he had made with her, the promise that she would to repay him in return for his services. The thought immediately dissolved. He snapped back to the present.

    The thief was quiet for a moment, hesitant to ask for help from complete strangers he knew nothing about except for one being a childish self-proclaimed Titled Witch and the other being a scary, level-minded princess. He was unsure if he was doing the right thing in depending on them. Nevertheless, they were the only ones that he could ask. He managed to choke it out quietly, despite his doubts.

    "Is... is it really alright?" he asked.

    Yoko nodded instantly. "Of course, it is. And we should not waste any more time. I hope I'm wrong, but her condition might get even worse if we let the seconds slip. I left the carriage in the Qioan Square. It's a bit far from here, but we have no choice. Can you carry her?"

    The Crow Thief immediately nodded back. Then, taking careful movements, he lifted Chell up and positioned her behind him so that her body was leaning on his back. He stood up. Unsurprisingly, Chell was extremely light, weighing as much as half a sack of apples. It was as if he was carrying a small child. However, as she leaned unconsciously on him, Noct could feel an intense heat rising from her body. It was like there was a roaring fire underneath the layer of her skin, threatening to burn her from the inside out.

    The moment he had straightened up, Jul reached out and took both the skull and the satchel from the ground, where it had fallen as the Snow Witch collapsed. "I'll be holding onto this, then!" she said.

    "Ah, put the skull back in the satchel. I don't think a lot of people would be happy to see that in public," Yoko advised as she looked at her. Jul followed her command. As soon as they seemed to be settled, there was no more time to spare. Yoko turned around and nodded towards both Noct and Jul. "Again, please follow me. And we'll have to be quick. Can you run?" she asked the thief.

    He nodded. Of course I can.

    Yoko smiled reassuringly. "Good. And Jul, make sure you won't go anywhere this time."

    "I won't!" The Falcon Witch squeaked on instinct, jolting at the mention of her name.

   As soon as they seemed ready to her, Yoko didn't even look back as she began to sprint down the length of the deserted alley, Jul trailing right beside her. Noct took a moment to realize that he needed to follow them before forcing his legs to move.

    "Come on, Noct! Hurry!" The Falcon Witch called out as they exited the pathway.

    He did. The moment he stepped outside the alley, the thief was momentarily startled at how much everything around him seemed so different from before. He flinched, blinking a lot as the intense morning sunlight bore through his eyes. His ears perked up, suddenly aware of the noise and the chatter of the people in the main street as they weaved through the dense crowd. The kingdom of Gisnell seemed to come to life in that instant, reminding Noct of the unfamiliar place where he currently was. But the thief did not have time to look around, however. He narrowed his eyes and focused at the figures of the princess and the Falcon Witch who were already a few meters ahead, catching his attention by waving at him.

    Don't die, little miss, Noct thought with Chell behind his back as he hastily followed after the other two.

    ... Because that'd be really unlucky for me, he added as an afterthought.

----> thank you for reading!