The Hunter Mage

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

Vernon couldn't move, his eyes which opened when he awoke a couple of seconds ago now widened in fear at the realization that his body was not obeying him. His first thought was to check if he was tied, just in case the members of his room had decided to play a nasty prank on him.

He lifted his head to check, a big mistake. No sooner was his head lifted up the bed that it fell back. Vernon would have sworn someone drove a nail through his skull that was the only way he could explain the intensity of the pain he had felt by lifting his head up.

He could not remember haven't felt anything as painful as that. If he could move his hand he would have touched his head in an attempt to ease the pain a little but he couldn't even do that.

He blinked and felt water at the sides of his eyes, the pain had kicked him harder than he had anticipated. He opened his mouth wondering if he could speak. He did but it wasn't too loud and from the bustling that was going around he knew he needed to be at least five times louder to be heard by even the next person.

However, he didn't need anyone to get him; he did not have the energy for that. He just wanted to go back to sleep, so he closed his eyes and that was when he noticed he had a headache.

The pain from lifting his head had been that much that he didn't realize. He felt hot and he could tell he had a fever. He was not shivering or anything but he knew he would feel so much better if someone put another blanket over him.

He couldn't even adjust to being more comfortable as he couldn't move. Instead, he just closed his eyes and hoped he would go back to sleep. Being awake was exhausting already, he could not imagine how he would feel if he had to move.

He removed the thought from his mind, thinking only of happy thoughts. He would worry about that later now, he just wanted to sleep. He did not know how long before he was able to sleep back, nor did he know how long he had slept for before he could hear someone calling his name.

"Vernon!" The voice was saying.

It sounded so far away yet it made his head ring. He frowned and tried to tell them to shut up but it was so hard to speak and try as he might, his lips were not moving. He wanted to be left alone, the noise in the background was easier to ignore but this was targeted at him and that was what woke him up.

"Vernon!" The voice called again and Vernon's frown deepened. He wasn't even sure if his face was moving to show his displeasure but he hoped it did so whoever it was that was calling him would take the hint and leave him alone. He wanted to go back to sleep, he felt less crappy that way and it helped his head ache less.

However, whoever it was didn't take the hint or didn't know how to take a hint because they moved from calling his name to vigorously shaking him. Vernon thought his head would break open and he cried out in pain. It sounded more like a whimper than a sound that was supposed to blow the roof off.

Whoever it was suddenly gasped out in shock. “You are burning up. Vernon, wake up.”

The voice was oddly familiar but for the life of him, he could not say who they belonged to and they sounded super agitated but all he wanted to tell them was that he was fine he just needed a couple more minutes of sleep, nothing too much and he would be ready before breakfast was over.

That was what he wanted to say but what came out was a soft groan and whoever it was suddenly lifted his head. “Vernon,” he was still calling.

Vernon winced, the other sounds did not have as much effect as his name. He kept hearing it inside his head and it tripled the pain he was feeling. If his lips would obey him, he would have asked whoever it was to shut up a long time ago. It did not help that they had just moved him from his comfortable position and now his head was extra spinning.

He felt himself go lax in their arms, his body obeyed just the rules of gravity and nothing else. He immediately realized who it was after he was the only one big enough to hold him in his arms like that. It was Sir Phillips and Vernon could tell from the way he was being lifted that he was being carried off the bed.

He panicked immediately thinking Sir Phillips was taking him to the bathroom. He knew he said he was not cold before but now, he would rather die than take a shower. The air alone that was touching his skin was sending shivers down his spine, he could only imagine how disastrous it would be if he was bathed with the lukewarm water.

His eyes flew open as he tried to pass across the message that maybe he would have his bath later on. He did even make it to the words, as his eyes contracted from pain and he quickly closed it. Everything had been too bright.

“He just opened his eyes,” he heard someone say.

“You all should get dressed, I will be back in a couple of minutes whoever is not ready by the time I get back. You would receive my wrath. If you need help ask the older boys and if you refuse them help and I hear about it, you will wash the toilet for a week.'' At this point cries erupted from a number of the people in the room. Vernon could hear Nevil and Jay’s voice clear as day. He could not pick anybody else’s voice and he wondered if it was because they were closer to him than the rest was.