What Annette managed to explain to him were just basic introductions.
Her explanations didn’t do much, but they provided him with a little insight and were far better than knowing nothing.
At least, now he knew that not only the students were members of the parties.
But only the students were selected as leaders, perhaps that was a biased play from Gilbert’s part.
She also mentioned some key events that happened; their first meeting with the Sloria nation stronghold, and Raven and Gilbert’s fight.
The latter part was what intrigued Northern the most, unfortunately the night was wearing thin and Annette claimed she was feeling sleepy.
Although he suspected that she did that to make him swell with suspense and then she was probably going to charge him with more cores.
Because throughout the night, he couldn’t help but wonder…
What in the world could have caused their fight?
Thinking about it was as well crazy.
Raven sure was a master, but fighting a Sage? It was beyond insane.
‘And here I was thinking I’m the most insane person in this desolation.’
Northern slowly propped himself up. It had been hours since everyone parted to sleep.
Annette and Ellis were probably somewhere in one of the rooms of this mansion, sleeping peacefully since the dreadful neighbor was gone.
And he too… was supposed to be sleeping. But so much disturbed his heart.
Perhaps it was just pure excitement of what was to come.
After all, Raven promised to reach out to him today.
The sky was still dark, two moons sat distant in the grey sky, one more distant than the other.
They were almost like a pair of hollow, deranged eyes staring at him from above.
He almost felt a sense of kinship from making out the deranged look in his own mind.
Then he shook his head and turned away from the window, muttering:
“I should try to get some sleep.”
“It’s too late though…”
Northern immediately flared up. In a swift motion, he launched his hand towards the direction that the voice had come from.
What his hand met, however, was a feather… he didn’t see it but something certainly fluttered off the moment he shot his hand forward.
‘What the crap?’
And now, a feather was clenched within his arms. A black, lustrous feather.
It made Northern feel ominous and incredibly disturbed. But either way, he brought it closer to his eyes and inspected it keenly.
“There’s nothing…”
His brows slowly furrowed, then he dropped the feather on the table and walked towards the window to look around.
However, he stopped midway and paused, his expression freezing with a pale realization.
He slowly brought his hands to his face and there it was.
Something was written in the common language, a couple of words it seems.
And Northern could read it very well, his lips moved.
“We meet at the town square, by dawn.”
No doubt about it.
This was a message from Raven.
‘But how…?’ Northern wondered but was met with no answers.
He was sure he heard the voice, then there was someone, then there wasn’t, then it looked like there was a bird that flew away, and it left its feather in his hands.
…and now, somehow, someway, there was a letter miraculously sitting on his palm.
Unless Raven was into voodoo, there was certainly no reasoning that could explain this strange phenomenon.
‘Crazy…’
Northern shook his head, glanced one careful look around, then slowly retreated to his bed.
‘Crap, I must get some sleep before dawn.’
He curled, hugging himself while waiting for the cold hands of sleep to caress him.
It wasn’t hard… at first, his mind was full of thoughts and worries.
But the moment he silenced them and thought nothing… everywhere got boring.
And sleep naturally seeped in.
—
Northern’s eyes flung open suddenly.
He shot up like a newly booted robot and looked straight through the window.
“Thank goodness I’m not late.”
The sky was orange-colored, signaling the rising of the day star.
A massive orb of energy that never got tired of rising, falling and shining its light upon the world.
He stood up and grabbed his bag. Immediately, Mr. Fluffy’s ears erected, the beast sprang to its four legs, anxiously breathing.
Northern was already about to leap from the window when this happened.
He turned back to the beast and shook his head, slowly retreating from the window.
“I’m sorry, Pal, I can’t take you on this one.”
As if the beast could understand him, it let out a low, defeated whimpering.
Northern neared it and caressed its massive ears.
“Instead, I want you to stick around Ellis and Master Annette. Make sure they are protected.”
He brought out a couple of soul cores from his bag and dropped them in front of the beast.
“Here, you can have this.”
He brought out more and put them separately.
“These are for Ellis.”
Then he brought out five more.
“And this is for Master Annette, her price for the information.”
All through, Mr. Fluffy paid rapt attention, its blue eyes did not waver from its Master, not even once.
Northern patted the head of the monster and commented.
“It’s good, you are a very good boy.”
Mr. Fluffy allowed another low whimpering but this time, it was not sounding defeated, although it still waned with a little degree of sadness.
But at the very least, the beast looked like it was agreeing with the fact that Northern would be going without it… again.
“I’ll go now… before Ellis and Master Annette wake up. Bye pal.” Northern patted the beast one more time, and waved his hand as he headed for the window.
He gave Mr. Fluffy one last somber look before jumping out.
The lonesome beast stared at the last of his shadow as it leaped away, and quickly rushed to the window, watching as Northern landed and dashed into the forest.
Even after Northern’s figure was gone, Mr. Fluffy kept looking, with a solemn expression on its wolfish face.