I love the clouds.
They're such mysterious yet beautiful specimens of nature, and they never look the same either.
On that day, I was contemplating flying into them as they slowly glided across the sky, but it was too much work. Besides, simply staring at the clouds as their sides exposed the perfect place to plant a kingdom was enough to satisfy even me.
However, the same could not be said for little Wonder as he tried to jump me.
Key word: tried.
The 5 year old ended up face planting into the stone bench I was lying on, and proceeded to have the audacity to cry about it.
I tried reasoning with him, but he was too busy bawling his eyes out to even listen to what I had to say.
Rude brat! Crying about a little nose bleed. Ugh!
When I was his age, I wasn't crying about petty things like this, and here he was trying to get me in trouble. It was despicable of him, but it worked.
You should've seen the cheeky grin on his face as I offered to take him to his mom.
The little faker dried his tears faster than anything I had ever seen. That grin of his got even wider as I carried him through the hallways of the Palace.
Just as I was thinking about how things couldn't have gotten any worse, a certain husband of mine, and Wonder's nanny decided to show up.
Let's just say if there was an award for naggiest creatures in existence, it wouldn't even be a competition.
"Where have you been?" the naggy husband complained.
"And why does His Highness have blood below his nose?" the round Magi bemoaned.
"She dropped Wonder in the garden after he caught her slacking off," the even more annoying creature answered from behind me and Wonder.
"Is what Chiro says true?"
Did he really believe the words of some overgrown fetus over the words of his precious wife?
"Yes."
Note to self: flattery does not work.
"Is the Prince alright?"
"He would be if a certain Storyteller healed his injuries."
He couldn't die from a bloody nose.
"No, but by the way you made his face slap that rock, I wouldn't be surprised if his nose was broken."
"Broken?"
First of all, that spherical ball of magic needed to stop screaming, and second of all, if his nose was broken, his mom could fix it. Why did I have to waste energy when she can?
"Aren't you selfless."
Thank you.
"Wasn't a compliment, babe."
I was sure it wasn't as I continued my walk towards the throne room.
It was supposed to be peaceful, but with the nagtourage (naggy entourage) behind me, it was anything but peaceful.
"It's only been five years." Chiro began, "Are you sure we already found the fourth one? If you're wrong-"
When was I ever wrong?
"Babe, c'mon now. Argument about the wizards of Oz?"
"Who has the highest tolerance to pain?"
"Your mean, baseless nicknames?"
"The efficiency of electric cars?" "Largest scale wars?"
"Your constant persistence to call His Highness 'Wonder Boy' despite him being of royalty?"
(1) I was right about that argument because she's the Good Witch of the North. The Wicked Witch of the East got crushed by the house.
(2) I was right (again) since Chiro was able to still punch me in the arm after getting hit by a quasar blast of energy and light. And if that wasn't enough, spaghettification pissed her off more than it hurt her.
(3) Water balloon is highly accurate simply because Galinthius looks like a balloon filled with water.
(4) On paper, electric cars are a beautiful step towards a healthier world, but in the real world, normal people simply can't afford it, making their efficiency obsolete.
(5) Find me any other wars that contain different galaxies fighting each other. I'll wait
...
That's what I thought.
(6) His name is Wonder. I physically cannot stop myself from calling him Wonder Boy because it is the perfect nickname.
Anything else? No? Perfect.
Without a care in the world, I opened the throne doors and announced that I had come to deliver a certain Wonder Boy to his mother when I saw a young, tanned lady with a little boy around the same age as Wonder.
And so, as Wonder ran over to his mom, I went over to them and introduced myself, to which the lady responded with, "I'm Chenoa, and this is Hunter. Nice to meet you."
Elegant, poised, and seemed fine with my barging in. She was definitely royalty.
"No, not anymore."
"Why are you here, Storyteller?"
To pick her up. Anyway, back to Chenoa, I simply couldn't believe how beautiful she was. Was she a human?
"Why are you here to pick me up?"
We had found the fourth one, but Chenoa, what was she doing there?
"She's going to be my new right-hand."
A new assistant?
"Advisor."
Before I could ask the incredibly beautiful "not royal" any more digressing questions, the naggy husband pulled me into an embrace and placed his left hand over my mouth as he extended his right.
Very rude if you ask me.
"No one did." Chiro snidely commented as I fought the urge to … well, fight her, by looking for my favourite little Wonder Boy.
In a strange twist, he had willingly left his mother's side as he outstretched his hand to little Hunter and handed him the crushed flower that was in his pocket.
Hunter looked slightly bewildered by the gift as he turned to Chenoa for approval before his face lit up as he planted a kiss on Wonder's cheek and accepted the flower.
Making them a trio wouldn't have been so bad.
For context, I said that as a joke, but of course my red-faced husband and the stares of lunacy made it very clear to me that no one knows how to take a joke.
"D-Don't you guys need to get going? "
They did since they were already late.
"And whose fault is that?"
I really hoped Chiro wouldn't nag the new girl to death as much as she did with me.
"I do not nag."
Yeah, yeah, I said as I hushed up the loud-mouth while Her Majesty said her goodbyes to Wonder Boy.
"I'll watch over him." Chenoa offered.
"No, you're already busy as is."
"It's really alright. He can help Hunter unpack his things."
"Thank you, Chenoa."
"I should be the one thanking you, Your Majesty."
"Kiara is just fine."
And with that, the three of us made our way down the rather large palace hallway as we headed towards the rose garden I was sleeping in when Wonder Boy bashed his face in.
"Why was Wonder hurt?"
"You should ask, Mrs. I'm-Never-Wrong."
I don't even sound like that.
"You'd be surprised."
I can't believe an oaf like her shares a face with me.
"We all have the same face."
"That helps in the sense that we'll know what to look for."
We had to be careful. All we knew was that she was a young girl with a troubled past.
"Aren't we all?"
"What will her title be?" Her Majesty asked, preventing me from physically attacking Chiro after she had the nerve to compare herself to me, but I honestly didn't know.
We didn't know Her Majesty's title until her Awakening, so I was sure we'd know then.
"Well, there's me: the Warrior, Kiara: the Magician, you: the Storyteller, so the fourth one could be-"
Luckily for me, a familiar, yet always exciting chill ran up my spine, and revealed the title before Chiro could put us through the torture of hearing her thought process.
"An assassin?" Her Majesty questioned as Chiro reached in front of her and ripped a portal open.
"We may need to stop time as soon as we arrive."
She was saying it like it was difficult, but that was a piece of cake. Even for Chiro.
"Anyway," Chiro exaggerated, "Hopefully she doesn't have any prior power."
Even if she did, nothing was going to top Her Majesty's Awakening.
"About that."
Hmm?
"May I ask for another favour, Storyteller?"
Of course! If Her Majesty was fine with owing me two promises, why not?
"I would like for you to write about Wisteria."
… If that is what Her Majesty wanted, it was fine with-
"You might want to come and look at this."
I always loved how Chiro was never able to ruin anything with that big mouth of hers. I was really bonding with-
The scene of the warehouse blown to smithereens sent electric shocks throughout my entire body as we saw a dark skinned young woman clasping onto someone in her arms as Chiro wasted no time to ask her,
"Are you the Assassin?"
The End ~
Thank you for reading The MAGIcians up until the end.
See next time <3