I soon reached the outer gates of Glandus High. Interestingly, I've never gotten the chance to visit or even see the school. The only academy in the Boiling Isles that has been relevant for me was Hexside, and that was obviously because my best friend attended it.
I was hiding behind a tree as I observed the students walking about. A demon with green skin wearing a potions track uniform? It can't be too difficult, right?
I watched the students, but none of them matched the description. That's weird. I could have sworn that the description literally sounded like a Glandus uniform.
Something wasn't sounding right to me. I needed to investigate. But I don't even have a uniform, and not like I can just waltz into the school. I may be dumb, but at least I'm not that dumb.
I hummed and continued poking my head slightly out from the tree. I crossed my arms and looked straight ahead before sneezing again. Mental note: I need to wash my mask when I get home.
I sniffed and tried to breathe normally, but it was tricky too. Curse my weak immune system. Suddenly, I heard bushes rustling by me. I turned back and nobody was in sight. Huh, weird.
I shrugged and went back to watching out. It was probably just the wind anyways.
"Ahem,"
With the noise of what sounded like a click of a button, I heard a whirring behind me. Oh, shoot. Does this school have security, or something? What do I even say?
I raised my arms up, trying to seem as if I wasn't a threat and slowly turned around.
"Hey," The Golden Guard drew out in a sing-songy manner.
I groaned, of course it had to be that stupid Golden Guard. What is he even doing at Glandus?! Plotting evil? Is he going to force students to join covens, or something?
"Well hey to you too, Goldie," I tried to play it cool and careless, leaning against the trunk of the tree. I crossed my hands under my chin. "I was already starting to miss you a little!"
"Save it," He scoffed, pointing his staff directly towards my head. "What are you doing here?"
I took at one look at the staff, which was almost literally touching my mask, and extended my index finger as I pressed it on the tip of the staff, pushing it to point down and away.
"Oh, you know me, just getting my steps in, taking a little stroll. Do I really seem that suspicious to you?" I booped his mask, and he just swatted my hand away quite defensively.
"Definitely. And I don't believe you. You're here to promote your little wild witch agenda, aren't you?" He accused.
I put a hand over my chest and gasped. "Little 'ol me? Wow, Goldie, you seriously think the worst of me."
The Golden Guard scoffed and held his staff horizontally. He immediately charged at me, catching me off guard, and pinned me to the tree with the staff while I tried to grip at it and push it away.
"I might have let you go last time, but that was just because the human did me favor," He whispered. "This time, I don't need anything from you, and I'll have you hauled away directly to the Conformatorium for your actions against the Emperor's Coven."
I leaned my head closer to his, causing him to back his head away. "Awe, come on, I thought we were bonding for a second!" I smugly whispered in return.
In the middle of our banter, some random student with dark purple hair and a construction track uniform walked nearby and spotted us. They were just staring with the most confused look on their face.
"Hey, can't you see we're in the middle of something?" I yelled, turning my head to look towards them.
"Keep walking!" The Golden Guard added loudly.
The student yelped and quickly speedwalked away. Well, that was awkward.
The Golden Guard and I turned back to face each other.
"Let's just pretend that never happened."
"Agreed."
I shook my head. "Anyways- why are you even here? Aren't you supposed to be, I don't know, arresting people for standing on the wrong patch of grass?" I interrogated harshly.
He laughed loudly. "It's none of your concern, witch. What you should be worried about is what's gonna happen to you," The Golden Guard sneered.
I think he saw something, because he immediately whipped his head around and gasped. He looked back at me and eyed me up and down before he groaned.
"Titan, you weren't supposed to be here! Now you're gonna screw everything up!" He chastised angrily.
"Screw what up?" I asked. From the corner of my eye, I saw a creature with green skin and a potions track uniform running out and about.
That's Morton's culprit! I gasped aloud. I looked at him and eyed him up and down before kicking his leg roughly while he wasn't looking.
The Golden Guard yelped and tripped, falling over. I was set free and cracked my back quickly before laughing. "See you later, nerd!" I taunted before I started running in the direction the was running in.
I could hear the Golden Guard growl. "Wait!" He yelled, but it was already too late, I was running as fast as my legs could take me.
The creature was running through the halls, and by instinct, I followed them. Turning through the corridors and long halls, I made sure to not lose sight of them. "Hey! You! The green guy in the yellow uniform! Get back here!" I yelled.
The creature turned back and looked at me charging towards them. It got spooked and began running even faster.
I started to fall behind. Curse my non-athleticism!
From behind me, I heard the whoosh of a staff flying through. I turned as I tried to continue running and saw the Golden Guard fly past me, turning around to quickly blow a raspberry and taunt before going back to pursing the creature.
I growled in rage. "I hate that guy!" I then stopped running and halted in my tracks, thinking. "Wait, why am I running? I have magic!" I thought aloud.
I created a large ice path using a spell and ran as fast as I could before sliding on its surface. It wasn't the ideal way to get around fast, but it was giving me a boost. I quickly slid past the Golden Guard and used vines to help me with sudden turns.
The creature was getting closer and closer until I was finally within reach. I stuck my hand out and grabbed it by the hood, scooping it upwards as I gripped them tightly. "Ha! Got you!" I yelled triumphantly.
I didn't see a turn coming and crashed into a wall, which hurt a lot. "Ow.."
The Golden Guard got off his staff as he approached me, yanking the creature out of my hands.
"Hey! That was my catch, you bratty, up-tight nerd!" I called out as I stood up and dusted off my cloak.
He waved his hand dismissively towards me and clicked his tongue. "Stop acting so childish! And why are you even going after this criminal anyways?" He retorted back.
"That green guy stole Morton's potion supplies and burned down his shop! I'm doing this to bring justice." I explained, crossing my arms.
"You? Justice? Please, let the real good guys handle this," He scoffed.
"Hey! Can you let me go-"
"Stay out of this!" Me and the Golden Guard both whipped our heads towards the creature and yelled in unison.
"And since I already gave you my answer, why don't you tell me why you were going after the green dude?" I demanded to know.
The Golden Guard looked around and noticed all the students turning to stare at us and the scene. He looked back and eyed me up and down. "Let's go somewhere else and then we'll talk."
The Golden Guard and I, with the creature in tow, headed back to Bonesborough and went into a secluded alley. Wow, this guy really likes alleys.
We put a bag over the creature's head so it wouldn't hear us, but I don't think that'd work out very well. I poked a little hole through the bag too so it could breathe and not totally die.
I was leaning against a wall while the Golden Guard and I stared each other down. I crossed my arms and tapped my fingers over my arm as I stood there.
"So," I began, trying to get his attention.
"So?" He repeated, dully.
"We were both going after the same creature. I wanted to help Morton solve a crime, so what about you?" I beckoned.
He stayed silent for a few moments before he finally spoke. "The Emperor sent me to get few ingredients that he required. I had to go to the elixir shop here to get one of the crucial items, but the store was destroyed. I need to find out who stole them so I can retrieve it and return to the Emperor and when I interrogated Morton, he gave me a lead and I ended up bumping into you at Glandus," He finally explained.
"Why don't you, I don't know, make it yourself? You probably have a bunch of dorks lining up to do anything for the "great Emperor,"' I made air quotes with my fingers, signifying my sarcasm.
"It isn't that simple," He scoffed.
I shrugged, "Sounds to me that you're just lazy. Anyways, let's just interrogate the green guy already."
I walked up to where the creature sat with the Golden Guard following behind and crouched down, removing the bag off its head. The Golden Guard pointed his staff towards the creature as I stood up straight and crossed my arms.
The creature blinked and yelped in worry, covering its face with its arms. "Don't shoot me!" It cried.
"He's not gonna shoot you!" I tried to reassure.
"Yet," The Golden Guard simply remarked.
"Okay, scratch that! He's not gonna shoot you.. yet," I added awkwardly before stammering. "Just- just listen up! You stole from Morton and burned down his shop and I demand to know what you did with the potions and the knick-knacks you stole!"
The demon stuttered with his words nervously, "I- I don't know where it is! Please don't hurt me! These.. random people threatened to kill me if I didn't do it! I swear, I don't have it!" They pleaded.
"Who was it?" I then yelled.
"I- I don't-"
"Who was it?!" I enunciated, expressing my seriousness in the matter. I gestured towards the Golden Guard and he powered up the staff, aiming it right at the demon.
It yelped again and fell to the ground before going on its knees and wringing its hands together. "Okay, okay, I'll talk, just don't kill me! It- it was this kind of organization of witches! I was in debt to them and they came up to me and demanded me to repay my debt by stealing and burning down the shop! Their hideout is on located somewhere on the Knee! I'm not sure where, but it's inside a cave. That's everything I know, just please don't shoot me!" It quickly gave us the details and hopeful whereabouts about the "organization."
"Got it!" I smirked and nudged the Golden Guard's staff downwards. He humphed and turned it off, pointing it away.
"Now get out of here!" I yelled as the creature scrambled up and ran out of the alley. "And you better not tell anyone about this!" I threatened as it went out of sight.
"Wow, I have to admit, you're.. not that bad when it comes to interrogating," He admitted.
"From what I've seen, you just scream loudly and sound angry. That usually works," I casually said as we both turned to face each other again.
"So, a cave on the Knee? That seems vague," He murmured.
"How are we going to find that?" I asked.
He laughed. "Woah, woah- we? You mean just me? You're not coming," He shut down.
"Oh come on! I was the one who caught the green guy, plus, I helped with interrogating!" I defended.
"Anybody can scream loudly and with authority," He crossed his arms.
I scoffed. "Look, I really need to get these things back to Morton. I've got a deal riding on this!" I sighed.
"And? Why should I care?" He leaned against his staff.
I let out a drawn out and dramatic sigh. Titan, this guy is really pressing me right now!
"Listen, if you let me tag along, I'll help you search for the cave, but only on one condition— you take whatever you need and let me go back to Morton with everything else you don't. Does that seem fair? Because like you said, a cave on the Knee sounds pretty vague," I tried to persuade.
He hummed and thought for a moment. "Fine. A truce 'til then, but only for now. Then we'll pretend this never happened. Got it?"
He extended his arm, showing me his gloved hand. I extended my own and shook his hand, sealing the deal. "It's a deal then," I smiled.
He sat on his staff and looked back at me. "Don't you wild witches usually have a staff?" He asked.
I shrugged. "Nah. Haven't gotten my own yet. I fare well enough on my own without one."
He sighed and pointed behind him on the staff.
I tilted my head, confused. "What- what do you expect me to do?"
"What do you think?" He asked.
"I don't know, just- you're just pointing back and expecting me to know what you- mean, by, you know.. the pointing.. thing-" I awkwardly muttered.
"How can you evade capture yet be this clueless? Get on, you idiot," He groaned.
"Ohh!" I sheepishly laughed and walked over, hopping onto the staff and sitting down. "You know, I don't get on these often."
"Just hold on and don't freak out." He sighed.
I nodded and awkwardly placed my arms on his shoulders. "Okay, here we go!"
The staff flew up before beginning to fly in the direction of the Knee. Wow. I didn't think this would be how my day would go. But everything will be normal soon.
(PART 2 OF FILLER - "TRUCES AND TRAITORS" (during "ESCAPING EXPULSION")
(2322 WORDS.)