Waves of Destiny (Twisted Wonderland)

Chapter 29

"Thanks!" Kalim said happily. "I would love to try some food from your home country."

I smiled. "Then I'll make some for you sometime."

"Ooo... Make some for me too!" said Floyd.

"I would like to try it as well," said Jade.

"Then I'll have all of you over sometime," I said. We returned out focus to the soup. Kalim tried hard to follow instructions exactly.

"Nice one, Sea Otter," said Floyd. "You're better at this than I expected."

"Ha ha! You think so?" said Kalim. "I guess you never know until you try. Okay, it's almost done. Just a bit more!" Jamil looked on in displeasure as Kalim finished up the soup. "Done! Wow, even I can make a simple soup, huh? Aha ha!"

"All you did was stir the pot..." Jamil said with a sigh.

We carried the food back to Scarabia, where we all dug in. Everything was delicious. After eating, many of the students broke off and started chatting with each other. I stood with Grim and the Octavinelle students until Azul signaled to Azul.

"I have to go with Azul for a minute, Little Shrimpy," Floyd said quietly into my ear. "Stay close to Jade, okay? I'll be right back."

"Alright," I said, and Floyd and Azul walked off.

"A little paranoid, isn't he?" said Grim.

"I wouldn't be too sure," said Jade. "Jamil has been eying her all day." He placed a hand on my back. "But not to worry, Ona. He won't approach you as long as Floyd or I are here."

"Thanks," I said. I spotted Jamil, and, sure enough, he was watching me. He looked away when he realized he was caught, but I still felt uncomfortable. I leaned into Jade, and he moved his arm around me waist.

"I still think you're wrong about him," said Grim, "but... do what you have to do to stay safe."

Floyd returned a few minutes later. He grinned at me but said nothing, which I found a tad unusual. I did not have time to question him, for Azul gathered everyone together.

"Ahhh, that was fantastic," said Kalim.

"Pausing after a meal to take a light walk stimulates the brain and improves your study efficiency in the afternoon," said Azul.

"You know a lot about this stuff, Azul. I'm impressed. And here I was just pushing for frantic hard work with no real direction. I think I've put my students in an unfair position. You're a sophomore housewarden just like me, but I'm woefully behind."

"Everyone makes mistakes. Our vacation's only half over. There's still room to make up for lost time."

"With a training camp this helpful, staying at school doesn't sound so bad," said one Scarabian student.

"Yeah, agreed," said another. "The only chance we get to spend time with you guys is when we're at school."

"It feels like I'm waking up from a nightmare..." murmured a third.

"Scarabia's got a lot of people good at astrology and ancient incantations, right?" said Azul.

"As they tell it here, the Sorcerer of the Sands specialized in divination, and this dorm is populated by students who embody his spirit," said Kalim. "I'm not good at either thing myself, though. Aha ha!"

"I hear the Sorcerer of the Sands successfully utilized a man-made device for fortunetelling that required natural energy. The study of astrology took shape relatively early when compared to other fields of magic... He was so far ahead of his time. I suppose his successes played a major role in that."