'Well, that was fun...' I mused as I stood at the place designated for our meeting. Clara and I spent some quality time together, and it's been some time since we had the opportunity. It's not easy to have intimacy in the academy when I have two insanely powerful and jealous dragons keeping watch over me all the time. It's only when I'm sure their attention is elsewhere that I can sneak into these encounters.
And right now is the perfect occasion as the two of them have disappeared off the map due to the simple reason that both Scarlet and Celestinia were eavesdropping on my conversation with Grace, Mira, and Eleanor. They seemed to be in deep contemplation, giving me more breathing space.
Normally, I have to trick the spells and senses they have placed on me while I'm "cheating," but thanks to this, I have some breathing space. The other thing to deal with is Carmel. After all, I left the meeting in a bad mood, and she would surely try to reach out to me. I had planned to comfort her, but taking some time off would be better. This will give her more time to burn in her agony when the proof comes that I had nothing to do with her sister's condition. I have already instructed Clara on what to do if Carmel comes to meet me, and I'm sure Clara will play her role perfectly to increase the guilt in Carmel's heart.
Just as I was thinking this, I felt a tap at my side, causing me to turn toward the disguised Marlene. Currently, she looked nothing like she normally did. She had black hair and eyes and looked marginally cute, though she still had her height that matched mine. Matching her current disguise, I too was in a disguise with brown hair and eyes, looking marginally handsome.
"Nice look," Marlene spoke with a teasing voice, her reactions displaying a closer feeling between the two of us.
"Well, you don't look bad either," I shot back, earning a smile from her. In the academy, walking around fully wrapped in a cape is a surefire way to gain more attention. Disguises are the best way to go, especially if you have the artifacts to back it up.
"So how are we getting out of here without anyone knowing?" she asked in a whisper, to which I replied with a smile.
"You do know that my aunt is the dean?"
"Oh? So some preferential treatment?" Marlene shot back, to which I shook my head.
"Nope, just that other than the dean, she is also the head of the Mage Association. Hence, I have some powerful gifts," I teased back as I told her to follow me. Just like me, Marlene also has spies on her, though for a different reason. This trip that we are going on must be extremely secretive because if it leaks, both Marlene and I can expect a whole load of killers to come after us. Plus, there won't be any shortage of people trying to take advantage of Marlene too.
'I just hope that Grace can keep Aria in control.' I know for sure that the childish-minded Aria will throw a tantrum, but from what I have seen, I'm sure that Grace can keep her in control. It's not for no reason that Grace was called "mommy" by her. Plus, if she does get upset, I have left behind things that will calm her down with Clara, so it might go well. I hope...
Leading Marlene, the two of us entered a much more secluded area as I reached out my hand to Marlene, who looked at me with a curious gaze.
"Hold it," I spoke, and just as I did, she held my hand. Soon, a twisting feeling filled us as we were whisked away from our position, and as we landed, a coldness hit the two of us like hail.
"How?" was the first question Marlene asked as we landed upon this frozen piece of land covered in ice for miles.
"Well, the dragon left this to me before he died. He said that the spell has the capability of transporting us here and back one time," I explained. My words seemed logical enough as Marlene nodded her head. The cold affected her a bit, but she soon took out her coat and wrapped it around her. I did the same. We didn't come here without a plan. I had already informed Marlene that the place we would be taken to would be the Frozen Trudge.
The Frozen Trudge is a well-known place within the Silviya realm—a frozen piece of land that came into being from an epic war. It is mostly situated between the two empires and is filled with several pieces of treasure related to ice. It's a well-known hunting area taken care of by the Adventure Guild under the promise that a percentage of the resources goes to both empires. Though as tempting as this place is, it also holds untold dangers. Several monsters adapted to the cold roam here, and the atmosphere itself isn't very advantageous. In this place, if the monsters don't kill you, the ice eventually will.
So, the question arises: why did I bring Marlene here on the imaginary quest to save her? Well, let's just say that the Adventure Guild is pretty good at setting up things when they belong to the DarkNight organization. Yes, that's right—the Adventure Guild is the light side of the DarkNight organization, a reputable one if I say so myself.
"So, what should we do now?" Marlene asked, her voice a whisper, to which I replied with a smile.
"Looks like we know where to head towards." My right hand suddenly lit up, a strong sequence of magical formations taking place until it formed an arrow pointing in a certain direction. Marlene and I looked at each other in surprise.
"Looks like we know where to head towards," I spoke in a light voice. Marlene nodded her head, and despite her pale complexion, she replied in a firm voice, "Let's just get going. With your strength, I doubt there is anything here that can hurt us."
To her words, I just smiled wryly, shaking my head. I focused 'seriously' on the arrow as I started to lead the way. The snow kept falling from the sky as the marks of our movement forward were left on the ground. Without any more words, we kept moving forward, following the arrow with pinpoint precision.
"Do you feel anything?" I asked as we kept moving through the snow. By now, our disguises were off since it was just a waste of mana. Marlene shook her head in response.
"No, though I feel like the curse is getting stronger," she replied. Hearing this, my expression turned serious.
"Then we better go faster." I stopped and hunched over a bit in front of Marlene.
"Austin?" she asked in confusion, seeing my gesture. I turned my head towards her as I spoke.
"Get on. We can't lose any more time."
"No," Marlene replied. In a pissed-off voice, I responded, "Marlene, we don't have time for this. I can see that your powers are being taken over, and the cold is affecting you more than you let on. So please, just let go of that stubbornness for once and let me help you."
My words rendered her silent. I didn't say anything after that and kept my position while looking forward. A few seconds passed until a sigh was heard, and Marlene got on my back. Feeling her weight, I held Marlene's legs tight, and her cold breath hit my neck.
"Only this time," a silent whisper filled my ears. But I just smiled at it and responded back, "Hold on tight." Just as I finished speaking, I sprinted forward, carrying the future of the sea on my back.
