The Dragon Thief [I]

Blast from the Past [16]

Blast from the Past

Nox

The day of departure had finally arrived.

Nox stayed up late the night before to pack his bag in preparation for the journey to Lord Harriot's estate. It had been a while since Nox could last remember venturing out on a commissioned guild task. They always proved to be a good source of entertainment and a great way to fill up Nox's pockets with some extra gold. The young mage had spent most of the night in bed contemplating what he would buy with his newly earnt money in juvenile excitement. A new saddle? A fine cloak? Maybe that birthday gift he still needed to organise for his sister...

In the morning when Nox started for his dorm door, he caught a glimpse of himself in a full length mirror. Soft, white robes billowed around him. His charcoal-coloured hair was handsomely styled around his face and his skin glistened in the early morning sunlight that beamed through his bedroom window. Nox grinned at his reflection in satisfaction.

When he arrived at Lanna's dorm room and rasped on her door, there was no immediate answer. He was left atop the stairs shivering in the chilly breeze for a long while until at last she opened her door to reveal herself in a mismatched pyjama set. Nox scrutinized her messy appearance-her hair was tangled by her shoulders and her eyes were puffy with redness. Black bags hung heavily beneath them. She squinted against the daylight.

"Why are you here?" she asked. Her voice came out hoarse.

"I'm here to escort you to the guild gates. Alderyth is there waiting for us with the carriage." Nox glanced beyond Lanna to scan her room. It looked abnormally trashed. "Are you ready to go?"

"Oh crap." What little colour there was in Lanna's face paled. She turned on her heels and rushed to the chest at her bed. From it she grabbed a large carrier bag. She began packing it with clothes from her closet and books from her desk. "I forgot that it was today." She cursed as she darted about the room in a hurry. Nox watched with a frown on his face.

"We talked about it on Sunday."

"I know, I know," Lanna mumbled. "I've been preoccupied lately. It slipped my mind." She moved into her bathroom and slammed the door shut. Nox sauntered into her room and took a turn in it. Something didn't feel right to him. She didn't seem like the type to be so forgetful.

Shouting so he could be heard through the closed door, Nox asked, "Has everything been okay?"

A moment of silence passed before he heard the sound of rustling. The bathroom door suddenly sprung open. Once again, he got a good look at Lanna. Red eyes, black bags. Her hair was combed and some rouge was slapped on in an attempt to look ready but still she seemed dishevelled. Worn out.

"I'm fine."

Nox crossed his arms.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

She equipped a ribboned dagger to the sheath hidden in her sleeve as casually as she were putting on her shoes.

"I'm fine," she repeated, this time with an exhausted sigh. "Can we get going? I've already made us late."

Nox's frown never left his face but he started for the guild gates without another word, Lanna following behind. When they got to the gates at the entrance of the castle grounds, Nox spotted Alderyth chatting politely with Nadia. She had green hair today. As the two apprentices approached, Nadia began waving eagerly. She ran to Lanna with a bright smile on her face and surprised her friend with vials of potion.

"A gift to congratulate you on your first mission. Gotta keep that hair looking chic," Nadia winked. Lanna took the dyeing potions gratefully. She looked a little awkward receiving them.