AVIS IN BETWEEN (Lesbian)

Part 9 AVIS WATCHES COTTON CANDY SKIES

-         Did she tell you what happened last night?

-         I had no chance to talk about it.

-         Great! What were you talking about then? Weather?

-         Talking? She gets in the middle of the haunted area; Jay's ghost almost attacked her; she thinks we kidnapped her. And the only topic of the discussion was that stupid well.

-         A wish well? What were you doing there anyway?

-         Shall I prepare a more detailed report for your consideration, Mage Kaleb? <pause> She was arguing, and I was defending.

-         Did she see anyth...

-         The well is sterile. No magic.

-         Then what's the point?

-         It was mostly about poor villagers and their miserable life under the oppression of birdpeople. <sigh> He hurt her, that young man whose iron machine she jumped in yesterday due to this reason she doesn't trust us. I have no idea what to do now! We can't just force her to believe us.

-         I bet he's a birdman. Otherwise, we were able to shadow her. But I've encountered him neither in Birdhouse nor at the Eagle castle.

-         <nod>   A war criminal?

-         Probably. < Kaleb rubs the back of his neck> we've got to do something about it. Soon people start doubting us, for they don't need us; they need Avis.

-         Last night we used all spells we knew to return the memories. As you can see: all was in vain!

-         I sent a message to the Birdhouse library asking for more copies. But the process is so slow, and I don't want to set off there and leave you alone without support. Now we can only give her all information she wants; walk her to the places she loves, loved.

-         I doubt. She said she didn't like us and didn't want any memories back.

-         What else is new! < sniff> And by the way, where the hellish bird is she? With Robin?

-         No, I had a chance to stick a "button" on her hood. She is <rustling of a paper. Zarya opens a folded map and pointed at a glowing dot> Yes, here she is!

-         Let's give her some privacy; she won't get far.

***

I nestled between white branches of a blue tree to hide from the sun. From some distance its white bark looked monolithic, but when one near the trunk revealed a pattern of narrow grooves and ditches. Happily, there were no annoying insects swarming or crawling around. The softness of the grass was unbelievable; its spicy smell evoked as if forgotten memories and my last night dream about Zarya, the first and the nicest part. I shook my head to get rid of intrusive thoughts.

It was hard to say whether it was noon or past noon. And the reason was a strange star position: it was already declining, dressing placid skies in sweet, cotton candy waves. And it has only been a couple of hours since I woke up in the morning and went to the village.

The sun was not scalding mercilessly, and the air was not so hot anymore, and I felt I was already drowsing. My sleepiness was strange reaction to the recent events. Once I was like a grass snake on a red-hot pan when I thought I had left my notebook in the lecture room.

And now I am just sitting here and chilling. A nice no food picnic of solitude!

I rubbed my chin again wondering how they managed to regenerate it. Instead of arguing about the bloody well, I should have thanked marigold for healing me after forest accident and saving me from the ghost.

Why did I even start a fight! The well is not my business, and I don't really see the big picture to blame her or other mages.

I stretched my shoulders and tucked the long-suffering hoodie, which was playing a role of a pillow, under my head.

I was stuck with them and could not deny it anymore. Frankly speaking, I have already accepted the existence of supernatural the very moment I set my eyes on Zarya and Kaleb: their rat transfigurations, and glowing light, and healing powers, and portals, and ghosts, and mysterious reflections. I imagined my brain was like "nah, if you see it, that means it is true, deal with it, girl." Just like in a nightmare when you believe everything is for real, and you can't comfort yourself when you sit safe in your bed with chilly sweat on your forehead and your heart beating against your chest like a trapped bird.

They're all that I have whether I like it or not. Their patience is not an elastic rubber, sooner or later it could be torn apart, and I would be out on my own which is not the greatest thing. I have a chance to escape now. Nobody is restraining me.

I secretly looked around, but neither Zarya nor Robin was seen; I didn't even feel her presence. I cowered a little bit:

Where are you going with no livelihood? Max's money is missing: servants, probably, threw the rolls away while washing the hoodie, having no idea what was it for. And what's the use of it anyways?! Maybe they have barter here, silly head!

How far will they let me go? There must be a boarder or a wall to define the area. Hare Rivulets is not the only place in this world.

I remembered Robin having mentioned the Eagle castle: it might be a neighbouring county.

I can't just turn into a vagabond and wonder along the mint green meadows. Somebody will inevitably stop me, and I'll be screwed.

I was already hungry and thought about honey scones leftovers with longing tenderness.   

I have to return to the castle and face my new style of life for my weal or woe. That is going to be terrible! Low and behold: crawling in the castle like a long missing dog!

I didn't move, watching the castle on the hill with sour expression on my face. I started merging into profound sadness by thinking of my parents again when felt the sort of giddiness, I usually had during rapidly weather change. I didn't know where to place my fingers, for they were trembling. I started rubbing them against my jeans to distract myself when noticed weird sparkles on the tips that has nothing to do with static electricity. The sparks were white like the light wave I produced yesterday.

"If only Zarya were here! I don't know how to stop it!" I said it aloud, being able to control neither my thoughts nor actions.

Maybe I could release it like I did last time?

No, it was definitely different: I felt triumphant and euphoric in the forest, more than that; I had a flesh target, now I was simply scared to injure myself or any random villager who happened to show up in the field.

Now what? Just hit the wave out indiscriminately, and hope nobody is hurt?

The giddiness left me, and I felt relaxed and atonic as if a tedious day of the migraine was over. Listening to my internal sensations, I propped up against a tree to see the sky has changed drastically: a bluish sea line or hills behind the castle turned out to be a giant planet ascending beyond the horizon.

I was stunned, having forgotten the sparkles sitiation:"...higher than Aella" I heard Robin's chatter in my head. The planet (I was convinced it was too big to be a satellite) was, beyond all doubt, massive and magnifical. How really huge it could be if I had a chance to observe the whole size? Blue like Neptune on astronomy book pages it had soft lines, eddies, and whirls on its visible parts. They moved sluggishly in much the same way a tired artist would put their watercolour brush to canvas mixing aquarelle.

Well, I'm mildly interested... Besides, it's extremely rude to leave the place so soon. I don't want to offend the hosts, especially when the hostess is me!