Before I knew it, I felt a painful sting — a stone had already landed on the left side of my forehead. I did not even have the time to evade it. Even if I did, I doubt I might be able to. I am too stricken with the horror that such a thing is happening to me.
I touch the part where I got hit and see it wet of blood. Laughs and cheers break out upon the sight of my pitiful situation.
Again, they attempt to throw their stones at me. I cover my head protectively — an idiotic attempt, I realize. One threw a stone at me from behind, and it hit my back perfectly. Others follow as I let out grunts of pain.
I close my eyes and try to shut out all of my senses. If I could not feel any pain then it should be fine, I just want all of this to end — a fancy way of saying that but all I'm doing is stupidly ignoring the pain as the stones hit my body.
I think about Anette and how she had warned me a hundred times to be careful. Did she see this coming? Maybe. I don't know.
Moments later and I felt dead silence around me. I don't feel the stones hitting me anymore, only the aching of my body all over. Is it done? It seemed that the once lively crowd has all but disappeared into thin air. But that would be too good to be true.
I open my eyes and try to stand properly. The stones that were once coming at me were now floating in midair, enveloped in a blue light. Before me was the back of the familiar dark blue shoulder-length hair and the ridiculously flashy robe of black and gold.
The people were now staring at him, wide-eyed, as though they were shocked to see him standing and facing them at the moment they least expect him to be.
"Y-young master Lavi, it's you." A man says, lowering his hand that held a stone that was once meant to hurt me.
"Oh great wizard, forgive me for asking so rudely, but what are you doing?" The muscled man who stopped me from escaping earlier asks in a not-so friendly tone.
"What else? I am here to stop you from embarrassing yourselves. Such shameful behavior, and yet you pride yourselves as the kindest people in the continent? Seeing this, I feel so dumb for believing such farce." The midget implored, sounding so authorative despite his age and rather slim build.
Even so, a woman steps out and tries to defend their deed.
"But great wizard, the girl deserves this kind of treatment! We only meant for her to feel what we-"
"Enough." The midget cuts her off. "I do not have time for this so I will leave you upon yourselves to reflect. Also, do not address her as 'the girl'. She is the young lady of this region and if the duke wishes it, she may inherit the title. You ought to have more respect as the citizens of the East."
But the way he said it, it seemed he had more power than the duke. The people only fall silent. Not one single soul looks at the midget or even at me, their gazes fall to the ground. The wizard turns to me and takes my wrist. His face was hard to read.
"Let's go." He says without looking at me, only ahead.
I thought he meant that we'd walk away from the scene but a magic circle appeared on the ground beneath our feet. A white light invades my sight for a couple of seconds and once it disappeared, the huge bedroom began to unfold. He took me back here so easily. I should thank him. Feeling the sense of relief, I turn to him.
"Thanks for saving me back there. I wouldn't have known what to do if it weren't- " Wait a minute. Something seems strange.
The midget only kept his head low and didn't look at me even when I spoke to him.
"Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?" He was silent and it was creeping me out. This was so unlike him.
Hearing my questions, he flinched. Then he finally faces me. I can now clearly see the rage on his eyes.
"I'm the one who's supposed to ask you that!" He shouts, fuming with anger. "You stupid girl, didn't I tell you not to go out? Why can't you just stay still in your room like you always do?"
What? Why's he so angry all of a sudden?
"You don't get to tell me that! I can go out whenever I want to. What's it to you, anyway? Also, you never said I can't go outside, you only told me not to get into trouble." I cross my arms to defend myself. I'm hating how he acts so bossy even when we're the same age.
Hearing my answer, he scratches his head aggresively, making a mess out of his smooth straight hair. "Is that not the same thing?!" He's yelling again. "You're a bloody mess, Calla. How do you still have the energy to fight back when you know I have every right to get mad?"
What's with the way he said my name? No, the name of the owner of this body. I could definitely sense a feeling of familiarity. As if he was used to saying this name. Still, there was longing in his voice as the name came out of his mouth. But we only met for the first time when he came here to restore my memories, right?
"You, how can you say my name so easily? I'm quite sure that the first time we met was only recently." I regarded him with much curiosity.
He was clearly taken aback by my question. His eyes widen upon the realization, becoming aware of what he had just said. He opens his mouth to speak but it is cut off by the knocking of the door.
"Young lady, have you already arrived? Do you want some help with removing the bandages?" It was Anette.
"Yes please, but don't come in yet. I'm- uh- doing something." I shout back to her.
I look back at the young wizard as he says something. "You're right, we've only just met and in no way do we have any kind of relationship. I've mistakenly called you by your name, I'm sorry."
"It's fine - "
"But I do not apologize for getting mad about what happened today."
After that, he disappears magically.
I hear the door open just in time.
"Young lady, what's the matter? I thought I heard a boy's voice." The maid asks as he comes in, walking towards me.
"You've probably heard wrong - "
Wait. Just wait. She'll see all the blood on my body! Anette will definitely ask and I'll be forced to tell her everything. I won't be able to go out again.
"What's wrong, young lady?" Anette asks in a surprisingly calm manner as she stops in her tracks.
"I- uhm- this blood is not mine. There was a lady- yes, she was covered in blood and I helped her-"
"What are you talking about?" Her brows meet and her face is filled with confusion as she slightly tilts her head.
"Huh? You're not asking about-"
What? I turn to the large mirror beside me and to my surprise, the blood from my forehead was gone. Come to think of it, I wasn't feeling any pain the moment I arrived here. The pangs of the appearing bruises and cuts were all but gone.
That midget, he healed me. I did not even thank him.
"Young lady? Is something the matter?" Anette finally came close to me as I stare at my perfectly fine reflection on the mirror — no trace of blood or dirt whatsoever.
"No, it's nothing." I tell her. "Help me with the bandages, please."
"Alright." Anette says as she starts to remove the covering on my body.
"How was your walk, young lady?" She asks as she unravels them.
"Quite normal." I was just nearly stoned to death.
"Is that so? Well, I'm glad nothing bad happened again while you were out, young lady." Of course there was. But I won't tell you that.
A ray of orange light makes its way inside the room through the huge window panes that lead through the balcony. I made it back in time just before the sun sets.
"All done." Anette declared. "I will come back here after an hour to assist you in preparing for the dinner with your father."
I look into the mirror once more to see that all the strips of white have uncovered me. Remembering about the way that wizard looked and talked to me, I felt just as bare.