6 - A Quaint Conversation

            Nova sat in solace before a hearth with knees tucked to her chest. She grasps her hands around her neck, though no scar nor even a mark was left she still found it hard to breath. Her attention shifted with a flinch to a weak rustle from behind. She turned to notice it was only Amy who was turning in her sleep. The red bolt in her hand slowly disperses as she sighs.

            I should rest now. There’s still tomorrow…

            She gives out a yawn as she rests against her bed post. Amy occupied the bed and while she wanted for them to sleep together, Nova denied her insisting to stay up a bit longer. There wasn’t any particular reason wanted to stay up�"she tells herself. As tired as she may seem, she plans on keeping herself up for the rest of the night with various attempts in keeping herself afloat.

            Maybe I should buy some fancy clothes tomorrow. She thought to herself as she remembers the rough look Amy gave her as she skimmed through her wardrobe in search for a change only to find a lack of dresses. Nova only wore tunics and robes, much to Amy’s discontent as she criticizes Nova’s ‘s**t taste’, as she called it. If she were to purchase one, she definitely won’t be wearing them as casual clothes as Amy does, she was definitely the weird one for doing so.

After she was able to win an argument against Amy in her head, she mostly sat in silence occasionally moving to check her pantry for something to distract herself with but she was tiring. She had no magic spell to solve that.

The night was still young yet she already gave out a long yawn. She tries to move around to keep herself from slumbering but was limited in her choice of exercise as she was careful not to wake Amy. In the end, overcome by the weight of her eyebrows she succumbs to it.

            ‘I truly do have a lot of things to talk about’, Nova whispers to the sleeping girl. ‘I don’t know a lot, and I wish you would tell me more…’ Her voice slowly weakens as she starts to doze off. She tries to clutch on Amy’s hair but she falls asleep before she could hold on tight.

            A few minutes into her sleep she was lifted onto her once occupied bed and tucked carefully. It was Amy who had been waiting for Nova to tire and faked her sleep this entire time for she knew her departure at this time would not be welcomed by the master of the house. ‘I must apologize for the unannounced leave.’, Amy whispers. Though she had planned to return before Nova could wake up, she could not be sure that would be the case.

            Please don’t leave…

            Nova tugged on her trousers as she spoke half-consciously. Then and there Amy could’ve easily left and Nova would be none the wiser but it was a temptation she did not even bother resisting. It was what Nova would have done had we switched roles. She reasons to herself.

            ‘and, how can one blame me if I indulge’, she spoke softly as she wiggled her way into the small sheets made for a single user.

            Nothing much happened during the hours that followed Amy’s self-foiled escape, Amy could attest to that as she had her eyes peeled all throughout. It wasn’t as if she had been forcing to keep awake like Nova, but instead she simply found the idea boring; or so she tells herself. Instead, she spent the night on rummaging through Nova’s dwelling without a particular goal in mind. By morning she was able to make breakfast for the both of them. She would take small nibbles from her own portions as she reads off on all the scrolls just lying around.

            Before Amy could finish her breakfast just through small pinches, Nova was able to wake up.

‘…you’re up early’, Nova wakes up with a yawn. It was pleasantly surprising to see breakfast already made on the table even as simple as toast and sliced strawberries. Amy was quite pleased to see Nova awake as it meant that she could finally enjoy her meal or what’s left of it anyways.

‘I’m sorry for the mess of a house.’, Nova apologized though she had already done so the night before. She sees Amy arranging her stuff while having a quick peek at every little scrap she could find. Nova did give her permission to look through her house, but she did not expect Amy to be so adamant about it, yet she was somehow happy to have someone be interested in her stash as messy as it is.

‘Mm, do not fret. You have quite the interesting selection of scribbles here, you’d attain the rank of grand magus quite hastily at this rate.’, Amy remarks much to Nova’s shock.

‘I did not think you were that interested in magic’, she thinks of a way to address the misunderstanding at hand.

‘Also-…’

‘Sit’, Amy points at the seat in front of her. She was quite ready to finally indulge in her breakfast and she wasn’t going to let Nova stall her a minute longer. ‘If we must talk about something, we can do it while we eat, no?’

She had no arguments to this as her stomach was quite empty after having skipped dinner. She takes a mouthful of bread and strawberries, quite pleased at the crisp of the crust and the freshness of fruit. They were fruits Amy had bought yesterday on their way here, she was confused by the reason at first but just only realized now.

 ‘It’s delicious. Thanks.’, she looks at Amy with a giggle as she sees her meal was already finished. ‘Will you like to have some more?’, she pushes her half-full plate to Amy but was denied. ‘I’ve had my share already, it’s yours’, though she didn’t sound very persuasive. Nova had to make a mental note to treat Amy later to something more filling.

‘Since I’m the first one to finish, it would only be just for me to talk first’, Amy declares quite boldly while Nova simply went along with her jive while she listened intently at every word the other spoke.

‘I was joking when I called you an up-and-coming grand magus’, Amy said. ‘I know you’re not one, so no need to correct me on that one’

Nova could only nod in response as her mouth was still busy. She was glad to hear that Amy didn’t see her as a magus even though almost all the evidence pointed otherwise. ‘-but your scrolls are an interesting read’, Amy seemed very cheerful from the fact. She had been kept busy for hours just from reading though Nova’s work, after all so she wasn’t exaggerating.

‘Y-You can read them?’, Nova hurried a gulp just to give a retort. While she knew there would be a lot of things she would find surprising about the revelations she’d get from an old forgotten friend, this was one thing she didn’t even consider.

‘That I can, need I remind you I was the one who taught you to be able to?’

Nova could hardly believe what she was hearing. Scrolls are magical instruments that could help a magic user to be able to cast a spell they have yet to master or are planning to do so. The language used to write scrolls are a well-kept secret among the magic elites. It was quite a surprise to Nova to know Amy was the one who had taught her to write it.

‘I don’t remember you teaching me at all.’, Nova mutters as she had always assumed that her parents were the one to have taught her. ‘now that I think of it, why don’t I remember anything about you before our recent meeting?’

Amy snickered at the quick escalation of things. It was quite an expectable lead up though, she must admit. ‘that is something you must figure out yourself’

‘Why?’, Nova asks reasonably.

‘It’s more interesting that way.’, with that, Amy had a smile to seal her lips as she looks at the puzzled Nova. ‘Don’t worry about it. Do it at a pace your mind is comfortable with.’

‘Sigh… I guess I do remember more stuff when I’m with you’, she mutters nonchalantly, unknowingly triggering a trap Amy had been looking for.

‘Then, don’t you think it would be better for me to join your adventure?’, a sneaky smile formed on Amy’s lips as she teases.

‘I-I don’t think my employers will like that…’

‘Oooh… Employers! I did not expect that.’, Amy knew a lot already about Nova and her mission, but she didn’t expect this to be a job after knowing how personal her mission is. ‘Well, they wouldn’t have to know now do they? Employers only care about results anyway and that’s something I can assist in’, she was telling the truth as she said that, in fact if she wanted to, she could complete whatever task Nova was given in a moment, but where is the fun in that, or so Amy thinks.

Nova wasn’t yet convinced. She was a studious girl who avoided lies when she could help it, but it would certainly raise the success rate of the mission with someone else around.

Plus, it’s Amy. I trust her, I think…

‘I’m quite useful, don’t you remember our ventures near the Ollyad Gates with me as your healer.’, Amy said trying harder to obtain Nova’s approval.

‘Ollyad gates… goblins…. carnivorous flora…’

‘Y-Yeah. I do remember that.’, Nova spoke with a smile as memories long since forgotten resurfaces. Memories of lighthearted travels and small skirmishes they partook in. She also remembered how great of a healer Amy was. She could close a scar and return flesh like no other caster could. Though there is to wonder why she chose to use ointments and salves instead of her sorcery. There truly were a lot of things that had changed since. Nova regrets having forgotten such memories, but this was not the time to reminiscent.

‘Then…’, Nova holds her breath for a moment as she felt she was going to regret the decision she would let out. ‘you can help me out, but at least tell my why you would want to do such a thing in the first place.’

‘The reason’s not that complicated, why I’d want to travel with you’, Amy rejoiced after finally getting her response. She had a wonderful smile as she neared Nova.

‘It makes me happy’

Such a simple response would normally be met with a lot of suspicion, but Nova had felt something resonate within her as she heard. There was no way now she could retract her statement after seeing such a smile from Amy, nor does she regret it any longer. Deep inside Nova, she could feel a small voice inside her whisper: ‘Good for you’ to which she unconsciously voices out as well.

While the two would have to part again, this time Amy had something to hold onto and not just mere happenstance. A will that binds them, as shallow as it might be.

Author's Note

Very low paced chapter.