A Prophecy; A Curse

Chapter 3

Like a miracle, Tresias was actually silent. Well it's not really that rare. What's rare is that he's actually deep in thought.

They were on their way back to the academy but the tension between the group did not subside.

Tres was thinking about Ayu. About how he can convince her to help. Among all of them that remained, Ayu was the most talented in rearing rare plants. But...she hates Zenith. Well, not just Zenith. She hates the entirety of the royal family.

"Tres," Evane suddenly called, pushing Tresias out of his bubble. Evane was one of the silent members of the squad. Her and Zenith. But unlike Zenith, she often meddle when the team spirit is heavy. Like now.

"You're silent. Are you thinking?" Evane feigned a gasp.

"Are you perhaps using your mind?!" Evane added with a fascinated, confused expression that made it so insulting.

Tresias' brows furrowed at the sudden attack. It took him seconds to digest what he heard. But by then, Evane was already a few steps ahead, muttering how there's a first time for everything and that maybe she was wrong about how she viewed Tresias.

While the subject of the confusion? He became rooted at the spot and was being laughed at by the group.

"Evane! You-" Tres got cut off.

"Good one, Ev." Carles said between laughs. "He-." Carles looked at Haki who was equally laughing. He wanted to tell Haki about what he heard, even though Haki already did. But Haki didn't mind.

His head kept on replaying how Evane said those words with a straight face, then Tresias' blank stare.

"Wow! The bottom two has the nerve to laugh at me?!" Tresias tried to defend himself.

"Rich coming from the bottom three?"

And they simultaneously mocked each other. Their hands reached out in a playful punch.

"Zenith?"

Evane glanced at Lorelei and Zenith. The three of them were now walking in front of the other three who never stopped bantering despite the people watching them.

Evane couldn't help but be a bit smug. Because of her, the tension eased a little.

Zenith didn't answer Lorelei. He didn't speak until they reached the middle of the pathway. The pathway had a forest on each side. The trees that lined up for the path created a dome-like structure, making it eerie yet calming.

"Tresias." Zenith called.

"Yes, Zenith."

"Do you know the person who provides Nana with her goods?"

"Zen..ith?" Tresias asked. A bit unsure. And a bit nervous. It's not like he's hiding Ayu. But if Zenith will try to approach Ayu by himself—.

"I've seen you watch him walk away everytime we stumble onto him. I saw you try to approach him once. Like you know him."

"Huh?" Tresias chose the safest answer.

"He might be able to help me." Zenith stared right at Tresias.

"The old lady seemed to trust him. And he can provide the ingredients I need for every full moon. Getting him on our side will be a good thing."

Tresias went silent for a while. He looked at Zenith. The person who tried everything to save him. The person he chose to be loyal to. The person... who was the great grandson of the tyrant who eradicated their kind.

Tresias will do anything for Zenith. He knows he will. But Ayu... he will never force his kind to serve someone they don't want to. He will never force her.

His reasons are his. Evane's are hers.

Tresias took one step closer to Zenith and reached out to tap the side of his shoulders.

"I will try. But I'm not promising."

Then he walked ahead.

~•~

At the academy...

Ayu was currently trying to make a potion that heals severe wounds.

Yes, even with all the herbs and rare edibles that she grew, she still needed to make a pill or potion out of it.

This skill is something that... the royal family is a master of. Pill and potion making.

She will never, of this life of hers, ask someone of the royal blood to help her make one!

She thought that, but... looking at the eerie colored potion she made. She sighed. This was her third attempt already. She's wasting herbs.

"Failed again, Ayu?"

"Tsk. It's very hard."

"You know I can help you with that, right?"

Ayu glanced at the low grade pill Calista made. She sighed again.

"Hey!" Calista complained. She carefully cradled her jar of pills. "Don't look at my pills like that! They're much better than your..." Calista glanced at her bubbling predicament. "..yuck."

Ayu scratched her head and poured her yucky potion on the sink that was connected to the potion-table.

This is harder than it looks.

"Hey. Calista. Teach me how to make a pill."

"No!"

Ayu's forehead creased. "Can't you think it over for a bit? That was a very direct 'no'."

"Nope. You won't get any other answer from me. The last time I taught you how to make one, you almost blew up my room."

Ayu twisted her lips.

"It's not that bad."

"A no is a no. And it is, that bad."

Calista crossed her arms. "Why are you so obsessed with it anyway? You're a herbalist."

Ayu rolled her eyes. Of course she's obessed with it, she can't do it!

She can actually multiply the efficacy of a pill or potion, that's her innate talent. However, they should be made by one of those damned royal bloods. And she will never partner with one!

That's why she's trying to learn to make one by herself. But along with her innate talent is being a failure at making one.

"Why don't you ask Zenith to teach you? He's the best at making these."

"Then, you try."

Calista chuckled awkwardly. Zenith is their class' prodigy... and the heir to the throne.

In the academy, there are no classes. No noble, no royal, no commoner. All are students, treated equally. But beyond that, is the secret agreement wherein nobles are nobles, commoners are commoners. And the royals rule.

Their instructor has been letting Zenith conduct a group study in Pills and Potions class. He even added the group study to the faculty schedule so that other instructors won't stop them.

The group study was also made because most of the students have a hard time passing the subject. Ayu is one of them. She doesn't have any plans on attending soon.