The Fear Of Death Confounds Me: A Wizard101 Novel

Chapter 10: Malorn

"...What do you mean you're going to Krokotopia?!"

"Exactly what you heard."

She stood there staring at me with her mouth agape.

"Are you insane?-" she cut herself off. "Actually don't answer that, you are insane!" I looked her over with an amused expression, waiting for her to calm down. When she finally did her eyebrows were pinched in confusion. "Why Krokotopia?"

I deadpanned.

"The views."

"Emily!"

"The dream I've been having is connected to that place."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a hunch."

I was about to mention the ultimate reason for my wanting to visit Krokotopia, but thought better of it. She wouldn't approve. Almost reading my mind she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Mhm. What aren't you telling me?"

I schooled my expression into my neutral calm. I'm keeping my mouth shut. Until I deem it absolutely necessary.

"Nothing pressing, I assure you."

Realizing she wasn't going to get more out of me, she shifted gears.

"You realize you need a spiral key to get there, right?"

"Yup."

"And you realize Merle has the only one, right?"

"Mmhm." She looked exasperated. I rolled my eyes. "...I'll figure something out."

By now I was zipping up my bag – very slowly, very carefully – and muttering a packing spell to pack the rest of my stuff.

"...Emily."

She sighed heavily, forcing me to turn and face her worried expression.

"I'll be at Mal's." I paused, walking up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder, forcing her gaze into mine. "Make sure Merle doesn't find out where I am."

She looked back at me, hesitantly. Torn between her desire to protect me and her desire to help me.

"...Please be careful."

"Always am."

I gave her a quick hug and made my way outside the castle, where Malorn was waiting for me. He regarded my bags and looked over at me a question in his eyes.

"I don't think I'm going back anytime soon..."

He nodded instead of questioning it and teleported us to his home. It was so different that what I expected. It was lavish and big, almost the size of our castle. I mean I'd only even seen his Dojo...so this was a nice surprise. He quietly led me to a bedroom that looked every bit as neat and pristine as Malorn was.

He sat me down on the bed, eyes roving over my bloodied form. His eyes softened, for a moment. Before speaking.

"Lie down."

I looked at him, seemingly confused, before my eyes followed where his gaze was looking. Down at my abdomen, where the blood had seeped through the new shirt I was wearing. I was about to argue when I noticed the torrid expression on his face, sighing heavily I obliged his request, leaning backwards on the bed, trying to ignore the severe flare up of pain in my lower torso. He sat at my side, hands skimming over the flimsy bloodied fabric, and immediately I knew what he was going to do.

"Don't use sacrifice. I mean it."

"At least let me see how bad it is."

I nodded, allowing him to take off my shirt gently, revealing my would-be bare torso, concealed with nothing but a bra and the gauze which was wrapped all around me, covering every inch of me from my breasts down to my naval.