Chapter 4 | Books

Flowers bloomed on the walls, and vines slithered through cracks as Irving made his way up the stairs and to the top, where stained glass doors opened and there he saw the classroom. 

With a grand tree in the middle covered in birdhouses, he walked in, the teacher, with messy curled hair scribbled down notes, her large glasses shone in the light as glowing flowers covered her desk. 

Slowly walking up to her desk, he cleared his throat while he stood properly for once instead of his usual slouch, with his hands in his pockets. “Excuse me, Professor Lisabeya?”

Tapping her quill to the book, she smiles, her toothy grin always a pleasant sight. “Ah, Mister Kethsworth, how can I help you today?”

“I was researching a specific plant and I wanted your assistance, have you heard of the Spindle Fire?” Nodding, and looking up at her eagerly, he rather enjoyed her class when it was time for it, and she always let him keep a seed or a sample for himself whenever they’d go and collect them for class.

“Spindle Fire, why I hadn’t heard that name in ages, nobody ever likes to learn about the herbs of the past, not unless it's the tale historians.” Standing up, she walked over to her shelf and pulled out a large book, one only she was allowed to own due to its….attitude. 

“Get your mitts off, you old hag.” The book barked as she just laughed, turning its pages to the Spindle Fire. 

“Now don’t be like that, we have a student interested in learning.” The pages dance in her hand, and wiggled as she hands Irving the book. 

“So you came to gaze upon my vast knowledge?!” The book exclaimed in a rather high and mighty tone filled with self-assurance. 

A sense of Déjà vu fills Irving as he holds the book in his hand, and instinctively he responds accordingly. “Depends, do you happen to know where to find a Spindle Fire seed?”

“Gone! Only born of a Spindle Tree, and you’d need a vast amount of Plight to even grow one! It takes five hours to set and another ten to sprout! A runt like you would have no chance!” Huffing the book wiggles in his hands, reminding him of a rather rude old man. 

“I’ll have you know I’m a brewer! And I’m quite good at growing things that need a lot of Plight! I could have one by tomorrow if I so desired!” Puffing his chest, he scowled down at the pages, it seemed all of the books were as crotchety as Pelaguard, at least this one was.

“Is that you, Alaben? Ha, so this is where you wound up.” From Irving’s bag, Pelaguard shouts, chained beneath the buckles of the bag, or at least he felt that way. 

Scoffing, the botany book, Alaben’s Encyclopedia To Whimsy shut its covers as if slamming a window closed. “If it isn’t Pelaguard, I can’t say I look forward to speaking to the likes of a skeleton such as yourself.” 

“Are you not older? If I’m a skeleton you must be dust by now!” Bickering, the two books go back and forth for a while until Pelaguard starts the conversation again, with a bit of force. 

“It sounds like you're too afraid to help the boy find a seed, you must not think it’s real!” Pelaguard said in an accusatory voice. 

“Of course it’s real!!” The encyclopedia quickly snapped back. “It’s simply not an herb a child should mess with! He would ruin the legacy!” 

“Of a false herb?!” Pelaguard said interrupting him in laughter and mockery. 

“False?! Pack your bags boy! You're taking Pelaguard to eat his words! We leave now!”Almost vibrating in his hands, the book squirms about as the Professor giggles. 

Her soft hands wrinkled with age reached for the book, taking it carefully. “Now, you know you need to get permission for that.” 

Walking to her table, she chatted with the book as Pelaguard said in a soft, demanding manner. “You will be shining me and waxing my seal again tonight, I deserve a fresh cover.” 

Lifting his bag, Irving couldn’t help the smile that crossed his lips as he softly spoke. “I’ll keep your pages dust-free for a week on top of that, well executed you old skeleton.”

“Mind your manners boy, haven’t you been taught to respect your elders?!” The book said with an exasperated huff. 

“I’m afraid not, now, beetho wax? Or therttle shell wax?” His grin never wavered, as he gently swung his bag from side to side, content with the recent turn of events.

“You better get on over to a proper bookstore and get me something nice! This herb is for that lady, is it not? Well, I’m tired of hearing you moan her name in the middle of the night, so let’s close this matter quickly, you ingrate.” Pelaguard said with a snap in his voice. 

Abruptly dropping his bag, and then slowly going to pick it up, he scoffed as his ears burned with embarrassment, and he grumbled out a response, slowly walking over to the teacher's desk. “Be silent before I leave you for the moths.”

After getting permission to take Alaben into the forest, Professor Lisabeya wrote a note that allowed him to miss class today and the next and receive botany credit for his little venture. 

Walking the halls, he held both the books that fought the entire way, the heat bearing down certainly didn’t help the growing headache he was getting as his face held an amused scowl while he tapped the side of his bag. “Would you both cut it out? You’re being insufferable, aren’t you supposed to be leading o Great Alaben?”

“Yes of course!! Hurry along! Your legs are rather small so this journey may take longer than I thought!” Alaben said with a loud chuckle. 

“Tch, bellends, the lot of you.” Grumbling under his breath, he quickened his pace as he gripped tightly onto his bag, he was determined to find one of these fabled seeds and present the fully-fledged plant to Thora, it was sure to impress her!

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Finding herself walking along the white-bricked bridge, Thora ran her fingers along the old marble railing as she gazed at the hot summer skies, sweat soaked her shirt but she didn’t particularly mind, it actually felt nice once the breeze hit her. 

Taking out her grimoire, she scrolled to a certain section where information about the academy appeared where it read. 

The Summer Solstice Dance! Join us to celebrate the year's summer! Shaking her head and smacking her cheeks, she huffed. “This year I’ll do it! I’ll ask him! Sure I failed the last Summer Dance… and Fall, and Winter, and Spring, and Lunar, and Nggghh……this time I’ll do it!!” 

She felt her stomach in knots even thinking about it, as her mind swirled around. BUT WHAT IF HE SAYS NO! I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO FACE HIM AGAIN!  No No I’ve got this! I’ll just ask if he’s interested in that type of stuff, yeah!

Turning her head she ran across the bridge, with classes being over, she headed into town in hopes of finding a dress for the dance, and if not, just to wear one, a dress covered in sunflowers, the summer bringing brightness and hope with it. 

Butterflies floated around in the air and her stomach as she walked to a boutique, her gaze stopping at the window as she saw the most beautiful lavender dress, her idea of sunflowers fading when her eyes sparkled, and his eyes were all she could see. 

“This is the one……”

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