"I understand Kalim relies on you for a lot of things and with this training camp, the stress level won't be a joke." Lotus pointed out to the startled Jamil, "I don't need to check your pulse to know. I don't know what's bothering you, but all I can say is watch out for the blot, Jamil-senpai. This year is becoming very stressful as you've probably noticed. There are also no teachers or nurse around. It would be very dangerous if another overblot occurred."
Jamil, surprised by her keen observations, was a little unnerved as he frowned, "Is that so?"
Lotus shrugged, "You can choose not to believe me or my warning. But, you should be careful and probably take some mint, or spearmint especially. It's a calming agent asuch as it's a cleanser for the breath."
Jamil frowned but didn't say anything as he watched the walk away with a confused Raaji in her tow. He had never seen a student so attentive to their surroundings. While Kalim may have been the most oblivious, this one is the most attentive. Also, what did he meant by having him have mint? Was he indirectly insulting him or did he really care about him overblotting?
Thinking about overblotting, Jamil did noticed the increased number of overblotting within the school. It was rare that the students would overblot in this school, yet three major overblots have occurred. Jamil have heard much about this student with no magic. But this was a little unusual. In a school where he is one of the two with no magic, Lotus has never been scared at all. There had also been that spice jar he found with poison-laced in it. He recalled the feeling of being watched after he cleaned it out and began cooking.
That guy was just really weird and he had no reason to place much trust in him. This was one of the reasons why he had Raaji go with her since he wasn't well enough to be taking part in this training camp completely.
.....
Raaji couldn't help but watch as Lotus looked about the desert with excitement written over her face. It looked as though she was back in her own elements again. Perhaps she was from the Land of Hot Sands?
Raaji was also confused by what she had told the vice-dorm leader as he followed after her cautiously before he spoke up, "Where are we going?"
"Exploring the desert and finding oasis." Lotus explained. "There's one a few miles away."
"Isn't there one two miles away?" Raaji said curiously.
"No." Lotus shook his head, "It's either not there or it's dried up."
"No way." Raaji shook his head, "That oasis has been there recently."
"Wanna go see?" Lotus said with a wide smile.
Seeing her smile, Raaji had a bad feeling weighing down on him as he wore a wide smile deceivingly, "Why not?"
"Oh, right!" Lotus nodded as she asked, "Where is this oasis you talked about?"
Turns out the oasis Raaji was talking about was a rather decently large oasis with palm trees and lush green blades of grass around it. Or it should've been.
Before them now stood a dead oasis with cracked earth in place of where the water once stood and the palm trees and green grass is nothing more than just husks of its former self.
"Huh, it dried up already?!" Raaji looked around flabbergasted.
"Huh..." Lotus glanced up at the trees and grass before he muttered, "Looks like it dried up days ago."
"Th-That can't be!" Raaji shook his head in disbelief, "I was only here on Halloween Week!"
Lotus contemplated some ideas in her head before she touched the palm tree before her. She nodded with a heavy sigh, "All right. I think I know what's going on now..."
Raaji turned to her in confusion before his eyes widen in bewilderment, "What are you doing?!"
"Pouring water onto the tree roots." Lotus stated bluntly.
Seeing that this guy actually knows what he was doing, he began to wonder if this guy had really gone traveling before.
.....
Ren was walking across the main street of the school from the library with books tucked in his arms as he returned to the Hall of Mirrors when he noticed a figure walking over to him to his surprise.
"There's still someone around?" Ren noted curiously to himself.
"Hm? Hey, Yuu. Take a look at that. Someone is still here?" Grim pointed to Ren in bewilderment.
"Oh." Ren saw Yuu's absent arm band, "Ah, you must be the supervisor?... And the monster cat, Grim?"
"Wow! We're already popular!" Grim cheered with a wide cocky smile.
"Um, actually, I remember from that incident at the entrance ceremony... Sorry about that, Grim." Ren wore a small smile.
"Again?" Grim whined in dismay.
"Grim..." Yuu wore a dry smile nervously, "Please don't take this too seriously."
"It's fine." Ren responded with a small smile, "I'm Ren Ebonvile from Diasomnia dorm."
"My name is Yuu." Yuu responded with a wide smile, "I'm from Ramshackle dorm."
"I know." Ren responded with a wide smile, "I'm a friend of Lotus. One of your residents."
"Oh, so you're one of Lotus's friends." Grim said with a nod and folded his arms looking very understanding as he hummed, "I get it now. Are you here to see Lotus?"
"I'm afraid not." Ren responded with a disappointed smile, "I need to get ready for the next trimester. My family has strict requirements when it comes to grades, so I have to prepare ahead of time."
"Fgna... That sucks..." Grim grumbled, "That sounds like Lotus when he watches us study. He made us study all day before the finals. Oh, I know! Maybe you can ask this guy for help!"
"Grim." Yuu scolded with a frown and turned to Ren with an apologetic sigh, "Sorry, but Lotus isn't feeling well right now."
"He isn't feeling well?" Ren raised a brow in surprise.
"Yeah." Grim nodded with a frown, "He slipped on the steps and hit his head on the stairs yesterday. So, he's taking a break at the dorm in bed."
"He's so badly hurt that he's staying in bed?" Ren frowned nervously for unknown reason as he thought one small boy badly hurt that he stayed tied on a bed.
It was just unrealistic! He can't imagine a kid that like being so clumsy and active get stuck in bed!
"Yeah!" Grim responded in bewilderment, "When we found out, he was in the nurse's office with a bandage around his head and the ghosts said that he was knocked out cold outside just as it was snowing when a student found him. It gave us a scare when we heard that he got hurt that we ran to the infirmary."
Not only that, it was also the first time he's seen Yuu so mad and frustrated before that night. He was so stressed that he hardly slept. At first, Grim thought that maybe it has something to do with being a leader, but he later discovered that it was due to Lotus's silence which bothered Yuu. However, Yuu never talked about it before with Lotus, which is what made it all the more frustrating!
"That sounds painful, but..." Ren hesitated, "I can't really see him staying in bed resting. I'll pay him a visit later. I'll be at my dorm, so just let me know if you need any help. Grim mentioned something about needing my help?"
"Well, that'd be great..." Yuu replied nervously as he felt it probably wasn't proper to ask, "You see, Grim and I suddenly took up an invitation to study with the Scarabia Dorms somehow this morning when were supposed to be helping Lotus recover. You're right about him not staying in bed. He probably would escape to somewhere while we're gone for too long or something and we don't know why we just agreed to The Vice-dorm leader's invitation either. However, Lotus needs his meals three times a day and we won't be able to bring it to him while we're gone. I don't even know why we agreed so simply."
"I guess you probably forgot. Then, let's exchange numbers, if anything happens I'll just let you know." Ren said with a polite smile, "I'm here all throughout break. It won't take me long to get all the way here."
"Really?! All right!" Yuu nodded firmly and the two exchanged numbers.
"Hooray! Thanks for the help! You really saved us here." Grim cheered with a wide smile.
"I need to go check on him in a bit and explain the situation." Yuu explained as he started to excuse himself.
Ren nodded in understanding, "I also need to return to the dorm too. I'll come check on Lotus later. See ya!"
"See ya later!" Grim called out with wide smile on his face.
As Ren left, Yuu and Grim watched him disappear into the distance before Grim began, "Um, why not just invite him over right now?"
"Lotus is hurt right now." Yuu explained, "It's best to give him some quiet before having guests over. First, let's go finish passing out the wood. Lotus seemed too tired to eat right now. Hopefully, Ren can help get him some food later."
"Great! Sounds like a good idea. At least, Lotus won't be running off! To Scarabia Dorms!!"
.....
"How far are we going?" Raaji muttered in dismay as he was growing tired, "I'm so exhausted."
"Just a little more!" Lotus responded with a wide smile on her face and the desert wind hit her face softly.