8 Enchanted

The moment the two saw the blood flowing out of my wound, they immediately started panicking immediately. Wait … did I just say immediately twice? Huh. Strange.

Comet ran to grab another cloth while Nova rushed out to call for one of the Priests. It should be healed by now but it isn't. Why?

While Comet held the cloth tightly onto my wound, the silver blood flowed to his fingers and, in a panic, not sure what else to do, he placed his finger in his mouth.

"Ah, Comet, I don't think that's the best thing to do." I chuckled, looking at his disgusted expression.

"Tastes like metal." He signed with one hand.

"I see. Well, I have no intention of tasting it." I said, noticing that the blood had stopped flowing now. "Oh? It's alright now."

Comet nodded in agreement as Nova burst into the room, slightly frantic still, "I could not find a Priest that is free at the moment. How are you, Orion?"

"It's alright," I said, holding my hand up to show the mark with no more weird blood spilling out of it.

"That's great," Nova said, breathing a sigh of relief as he looked around the dressing room which was just a room with a mirror, a chair and a tiny cabin in the corner to change into an outfit. "I have never been here before. It's so cool that we get to see this place, right, Comet?"

The blond boy nodded, looking at himself in the mirror curiously while Nova looked around the room, interested by the most mundane things he sees regularly.

I just let them be, not having the strength to be able to sit up properly as I remembered what happened just before. The dancing, the fact that I talked to the goddess, face to face and … what she said to me …

Why did she look so sad when I asked her for the prosperity of the kingdom instead of anything for myself? She even said something about protection.

Hmmm … protection … protection … protection … pro-pregnancy … Pre- pregnancy?!?

There is no way that is the case right? I am two hundred per cent sure that I am not pregnant. If I was, I would already have shown signs of it.

It is just because of those two that all those ideas came into my head. I need sleep.

"You look absolutely exhausted, Orion," Nova said, appearing in front of my face, startling me. "I know what we should do."

"And what is that?" I asked, already knowing what he is trying to say.

"Well," Nova leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a tiny whisper as Comet came closer as well, "I know this new bar that opened up. They have some of the best food in the kingdom. We need to visit it, Orion."

"Do you think we will be allowed to?" I asked, looking at myself in the mirror pulling the veil out before putting it back on almost immediately. Yeah. No.

"When have we ever asked for permission?" He asked, a twinkle of mischief written all over his face. "We are going to be part of the Priests in a couple of years, all our time will be busy with something else then.

"Come on, we need to live while we are at it. Besides, the moon goddess is a stickler for good food."

Looking at the boy in front of me, I have a hard time believing he is the same person I saw this morning.

"You should quit this and become an actor or something," I said, nudging him on the shoulder. "That nervous boy act from this morning something even I keep falling for."

Sticking his tongue out at me, Nova grinned brightly. "So, what do you say?"

"No thanks. I will just go out for a light smoke at the back of the place. You both can go there all you like." I said, leaning back against the chair. I would have joined them any other time because I love good food so much.

But after all that happened, I am too tired to sneak out and my body is a little too weak to be going around, I don't want to be found collapsed in the streets somewhere again.

"You are no fun," Nova said, rolling his eyes at me before sighing. "Alright, let's just go to the back of the building for today, you want to join us, Comet?"

The quiet boy nodded, smiling brightly.

Reaching my hand out, I patted him on the head, "Only Comet is the sane and stable one amongst us. I hope you stay like this forever Comet."

"Wait, what does that mean? I am not sane??" Nova asked, grabbing me by the collar and shaking me.

I did not have the chance to say anything to him as I pushed him away and walked to a corner of the room, throwing what little bit that I ate onto the ground.

The two stared at me for a second before helping me up and then changing me back into my robes.

"Let's just go to bed for now. Wake me up in two hours." I said, as we snuck past the people that were asking to see the 'Dancer' while the other Priests tried to hold them back.

"The Dancer needs rest." They kept saying, creating a barrier to keep them from crossing a certain line. "You may come to see him in the morning."

I stared at them, pitying them just a little bit, until I remembered that I will be having to do that in two years, when I will become a senior Perigee and I just lost all pity for them immediately.

But it is true. Once the dance is done, the Dancer disappears to his room to rest up because this is taxing on its own and, as long as the king stays here, the people will be coming to ask for blessings from the Dance, or Carrier of the Goddess's Blessing, as some would like to call them.

It is a given that I would be resting somewhere, that is why no one is looking for me. And everyone is too busy to also go looking for me. They will come to check on me, if I am on my bed in the morning though.

We snuck to the dorms and, the moment my head hit the pillow, I was knocked out immediately. Never in my life have I had such a deep sleep before and I kind of wished it lasted much longer. Unfortunately for me, that is impossible.

___________________________

Thirty minutes to midnight, I was awoken by two faces staring down at me.

If I had not recognised them immediately, I would have turned and bit them. But they were just Nova and Comet, coming to take me on the walk to the back of the campus.

I didn't want to wake up but I had already told them to wake me up so I really just threw myself under the bus there.

Turning into our wolf forms, we blended into the darkness as all three of us are Night Wolves; black fur with black eyes and the ability to sneak amongst the shadows.

It is hard to tell us apart if we stood next to each other but, with careful observations, you will be able to do that in no time.

Sneaking amongst the shadows, we turned to look at the hall where laughter and singing were coming out from. They were still very awake and partying, celebrating the successful day.

"Man, I know of want to join them," Nova murmured, looking at the building longingly. "One day, I will be in that place, partying my heart out, Orion, Comet. Mark my words."

"Sure," I said, walking past him. "Let's get to our destination first. Last one there is a rotten egg."

Comet and I disappeared first, leaving Nova to chase after us, complaining the entire time until we got to the back of the building.

"No fair, you both cheated." He said, turning back human as he walked to us, taking a box out of his pocket.

"Like you have never cheated before." I chuckled, holding my hand out as he placed the box in my hands, grumbling still. Opening the tin box, I stared at the rolled-up papers with words written on them. "It must be nice to have family that will still send you these things."

I took one out and handed the box to Comet who also took one before I handed it back to Nova who took one, snapping his fingers as a little blue fire blazed on his index finger, lighting the rolled-up paper with herbs stuffed into it.

He walked up to Comet and lit it for him as well first before walking to me, "Well, this is the bribe I get for keeping their secret."

The rolled papers in our mouths touched as mine slowly lit up, smoke coming out of the paper and reaching to the skies.

I took in a deep breath and blew out another cloud of smoke, feeling a little bit of strength return to my body while I looked at the moons and stars above me.

"What happened before sti-"

Comet suddenly stood in front of me, staring at the empty pathway in front of us.

"What's wrong?" Nova asked, turning to that direction as well, keeping absolutely quiet as the only light was a coming from a lamppost ten feet in front of us. So we are quite hidden.

We listened and stared until we could hear footsteps approaching us. It is no one we know, that is for sure. The smell is so foreign.

As the person drew closer, we watched until they stepped into the light, eyes widening immediately the moment we saw the wolf in front of us.

Unlike the usual colours of black, white, brown, red, yellow and the variants of those colours, this wolf is-

"Enchanted."