The Aide that is useless (3)

"Did you look at the scroll I gave you?" Ciaran asked Melissa.

"Yes!" Melissa said, smiling. "I only briefly looked at the scroll last night, but the little I read amazed me."

"I'm glad." Ciaran said. "After this situation is behind us, you will have all the time in the world to study it."

"Thank you." She said as she inched closer to him.

Cas watched the interaction between the two, and while she knew that it was an act. However, she couldn't help but feel dejected as the man she loved was looking at another woman before her, and they still had a few more hours before they reached their destination.

They were currently in a carriage as they headed to a town that had sent a request to the academy to clear out a bandit camp that had sprung up nearby.

What is my dream? She wondered as she tried to ignore them.

After talking with Ciaran last night and this morning, had left her mind in a mess. She knew what she wanted but also knew she couldn't have it. Ciaran was too far out of her reach, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep up with him.

She couldn't help but remember the night after he had left that cave.

He was so scared after everything that happened, and she was naive enough to suggest that she would stand beside him as they fought gods. Now here he was, in his opinion, going against the smartest person in the kingdom, and he wasn't even flinching.

She could tell that he was enjoying this challenge. Even though he tried to hide it, very little could escape her notice.

How could she ever hope to stand beside him?

What if after he defeats Olivia, he claims her?

What if after he claims her, he places her at his side?

She was smart and strong enough to fight against the demon general and walk away uninjured.

"Cas." Ciaran said as he gripped her shoulder.

Blinking her eyes and focusing, she realized that the carriages had stopped, and everyone had gathered around Professor Zovreth.

"You with me?" He asked with concern.

"Yeah." Cas responded as she started to get up.

Only to stop when he didn't let her up.

"Decide." He said coldly. "Are you my servant or my heart?"

"I…" Cas struggled to say.

"I see." He solemnly said as he released her shoulder and stepped out of the carriage.

Cas couldn't say anything as she watched him walk away. She was lost and confused in this world and was too weak to stand on her own, only for her heart to shatter at what he said next.

"Maybe I should hand you over to Leonardo." He casually threw out without looking back.

What? She thought as anger began welling up within her.

Cas didn't know what to think anymore. Was she his servant or his heart? How was it that after all these years, he still loved her? What did he even see in her? How was it that a man as powerful as him, who could have whomever he wanted, wanted her?

She just wanted to sleep next to him at night and wake up next to him. That's all she wanted; everything else could go to hell for all she cared. She didn't care about gods and stuff like that. She just wanted to support Ciaran, no matter what.

Jumping from her seat and getting out of the carriage. She was about to yell at him before realizing that other people were present, and she barely held her tongue.

"Professor." Ciaran began as he walked up to her. "I will take the others and handle the bandit camp."

Professor Zovreth didn't say anything for a moment as she observed her surroundings.

"Very well." She said before turning to address all the students. "Callista, Thomas, Rachel, and Mary. The four of you stay with me. Everyone else will follow Maxamus and clear out the bandit camp."

A few students wanted to voice their objections but were silenced by Ciaran.

"Professor Zovreth has put me in charge. If anyone has a problem with it, they can stay here." He said calmly as he started walking.

Two students stayed behind while the rest began following him, and as he passed Cas, he refused to look at her.

She didn't know how to feel. She was angry and furious. Yet sad and hurt at the same time.

Thankfully an outlet for her frustrations showed up a few minutes later.

"Lookie who we have her." A booming voice said.

A large orc that stood over two meters and weighed over three hundred pounds of pure muscle showed up with at least twenty other orcs.

"Bulgan." Zovreth growled as she stepped in front of her students.

"Zovi. look how hot you are." Bulgan said as he stared at her.

"You're too dumb to pull this off. Who put you up to this?" She asked.

"A little birdie told me you will be here and gave me this barrier to stop wind users." He said as he chuckled.

The other students realized what he had said, began to get nervous, and started looking around, hoping for a way to escape.

"Nowhere to run." He said as he took a step forward. "And we even have a few females."

One of the other orcs stepped forward as he pointed at Cas.

"Lookie, we also have a she-elf. I hope she doesn't break when it's my turn." The orc said as he stared, rubbing his groin.

The other orcs started gossiping and laughing, and no one noticed it at first.

But the orc that had pointed to Cas and rubbed their groin suddenly stopped moving and stood still for a moment.

"Yar." Another orc said as he slapped the orc's shoulder, only to stop as the orc fell to the ground.

This caused all the other orcs to stop laughing as they looked at the fallen orc.

"Get up Yar." Bulgan said as he kicked the orc.

The orc didn't move, and it wasn't until Bulgan rolled the orc over that they noticed a coin-sized hole in his head.

Only Professor Zovreth and Cas saw what happened, and Zovreth started laughing as Cas turned to where Ciaran and the others had walked off and couldn't help but get enraged.