The Hunter Mage

CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

"Vernon!" He heard the whining, loud voice of Nevil.

"Sshhh!" Someone yelled, shushing him.

"I am sorry," he muttered, apologizing. "Vernon!" He whispered but it was really just said in a shush tone, it was still pretty loud. Vernon chuckled, it was typical Nevil, no matter how many times they told him, he never knew how to whisper.

"You have to come back later, he is sleeping and he needs all the rest he can get. I don't want you boys waking him up and disturbing the peace." Madame Prisca said with a little too much force than was necessary.

Vernon did not miss a beat, "I am awake," he said stiffly, forcing himself up even though it hurts.

"Vernon!" They cried and rushed at him.

Though Nevil's cry had been the one to wake him up, he was still glad they came around. He looked up at them and could not hide his surprise when he saw Jay at the doorway.

It was slightly awkward as he stood by the doorway but Vernon did not know what to say to him to ease the air, it was not like they were the best of friends. Thankfully, Dev and Nevil started talking so whatever tension that was in the air dissipated.

"How are you? What did they say is wrong with you?" Nevil bombarded him with questions.

"One at a time, Nevil," Dev muttered and smacked him.

"Awww!" He yelled.

Vernon chuckled and looked in Jay's direction but he was no longer there. "So, how are you?" Dev asked, bringing his attention back.

He shrugged. "I have a constant headache and my temperature is still high, so pretty good I guess." He finished with a weak smile.

"Stop messing around Vernon," Dev said but they were both chuckling.

"Why though? Bess could not fix you?" Nevil asked.

Vernon shook his head. "Nope, apparently, my mana is the issue."

Dev squinted. "And she can not fix Mana related illness. Like the first time, I had used magic and I collapsed on the courtyard."

Nevil laughed. "Yeah, I remember. We all actually thought you died."

"But that was a long time ago. What has that got to do with now?" Dev asked.

"Well, then she could not heal me but I was not sick, my mana was just low, too low."

"So, is it the same thing this time?" Dev asked.

"I don't know. She called it Mana sickness and she can't restore Mana, so it is something I have to do by myself and there is no quick way. I need to get enough rest and drink lots of cocoa."

Vernon rolled his eyes at the last part. His breakfast was still on the table, he was sure that if Madame Rebecca saw it, she would have a fit. It was easy to tell it was way past lunch because the boys were here.

They would not have been allowed to come to the infirmary to see him if the training was not over. He would have to eat it, if he did not want her to chew his head off but he would figure that out later, maybe after Dev and Nevil had left.

"That sounds like the best thing ever," Nevil cried. "Hey, let's exchange."

"Trust me," Vernon replied. "You don't want this headache, my whole body hurts too. I feel pain all the time and I can't even say exactly where the pain is coming from."

"I don't care, I will take anything for hot cocoa and sleep." Nevil sneered, doing nothing to hide his jealousy.

"How did the training go?" Vernon asked, wanting to take the topic away from him and towards a less dreary subject even though he could not think of how anything that concerns Steven was a less dreary subject but at least this time it was not about him.

"Oh no. It was horrible, Vernon. Steven made us do a routine almost fifteen times because someone was not getting it right. I miss Pam!" He cried. "You are so lucky you were not at today's training. I am sure everybody needed at least a glass of cocoa by the time they were done."

Vernon could not help but wonder if he went extra hard on them because he was not around. Not that he cared, they should get a taste of what he went through every day. Just because his magic was less did not make what he had to do less.

He was a hundred percent certain he went through double if not triple of what the rest of his magic group had to go through. It did not help that his lack of improvement pissed Steven off extensively and he blamed Vernon for his one failure as if anyone chose not to excel in magic. It was magic for heaven's sake.

He wanted to make trees grow as big as they possibly could, he wanted to do the impossible. However, his magic said otherwise and it affected him more than he showed.

"Trust me with the way I feel, I wish I was at the training instead of waking up with a crazy fever," Vernon whined. He knew Nevil really wished their roles were reversed so that he would get to spend the entirety of his day on the bed but knew if he could pick he sure as hell would not pick being stuck in the infirmary.

"Nah, it can't be that bad besides you get an endless supply of hot cocoa and everyone is at your beck and call. Sounds like the best life to me. What could possibly be better?" Nevil asked and threw his hands in the air.

"It is not as fun as you think it is. I can't leave the bed and even if I try to, the most I can do is use the bathroom, I can't leave the infirmary." Vernon tried to explain to Nevil.

"I will still take it, anything to avoid seeing Steven."