Milkweed: Short Stories for Wizards

The Yule Ball (Part II)

The Yule Ball (Part II)

Inside the banquet hall, the students stopped at their school's respective desks, checked themselves in and walked themselves in for elixirs near an open bar and hors d'oeuvres. While Sigmund was instantly surrounded by other students from the neighboring schools, Kyle had the chance to take in the hall around him. Smooth, shiny white marble floors below them with a deep maroon floor runner that cut through the center of the elixir room. On one side of the room, a soft atmosphere was made with a melodious pianist hitting at the keys behind the hum of the chatter of the room. Zombie butlers circled the room offering an array of different finger foods and vials of elixir combinations to drink. A butler approached Kyle suddenly while he was gazing up at the sparkling crystal chandeliers on the ceiling and caught his attention.

"Ugghhhh..." The zombie seemed to offer, lifting his serving platter of elixirs towards the wizard. Kyle gave a sheepish smile and lifted a jar of sparkling blue colored liquid from the tray.

"Thank you!" He nodded, taking a sip of approval. The fragrant elixir tasted like wild berries! Before the zombie could walk off with the remainder of his elixirs, Sigmund swooped over to grab one for himself, then another, which he handed to the green colored witch from the relay, Meghan the Malevolent.

"Kahl!" Sigmund grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "Why aren't you mingling?"

"Mingling?" Kyle cringed. It seemed to be what everyone else in the room was doing at the moment, but Kyle wasn't particularly interested. Sigmund, on the other hand, was being insistent. The conjurer didn't have many friends and the sorcerer was determined to help him make some, for his personal sake mainly.

"Ja! There's so many interesting kinfolk here! You remember Meghan, right?" Looking over at the green skinned witch, Kyle gave a weak wave in her direction. She returned Kyle's greeting with a snarl and adjusted the raven feathered fascinator in her hair. "She was just talking to me about the weird book you always walk around with."

"My Necronomicon?"

"Yeah, I actually study necromancy." Meghan nodded. "I'm one of the only witches in our level currently that does. I'm more partial to black magic."

"Oh! So am I!"

"See~?!" Sigmund desperately grinned in Kyle's direction. "Don't be a shut in! Make some friends! PLEASE!" When Sigmund tried to bow out of the conversation, Meghan grabbed his arm and stopped him in his tracks. Taking a sip of her red elixir, she furrowed her brows.

"Who said I wanted to make friends?" Meghan grumbled to the surprise of the boys. "Especially with this kid. No thanks."

"Excuse me?!" Kyle coughed, eyes going wide. Meg shrugged.

"I mean, I've seen the broom you ride. Why would I wanna be friends with you? You probably live in squalor!" Sigmund choked on his own elixir as a laugh escaped him. Kyle's face reddened.

"The broom I ride beat you in the Rune Relay! So how about that? ZING!"

"Who cares about that stupid relay?!"

"Clearly you do with the way you stomped around when we won!"

"She did stomp! Didn't she?" Sigmund laughed. The boys imitated her display from that day, stomping around her and instantly broke out in joint laughter, much to Meghan's distaste. As the witch growled through gritted teeth and seemed to be reaching for a wand from her cloak, the conversation paused when the doors of the main dining hall suddenly opened and a harp chimed.

"DINNER IS SERVED!" An announcement sang out over the conversations in the room. The youth immediately turned their attention to the opened room and a collective silence washed over them.