Chapter 5 Enzi Mumbi: The Cursed One Is Nice

Enzi Mumbi

The Cursed One Is Nice

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I hate this place. I thought. I was sitting in a chair waiting outside the headmaster’s office. People walked past me, some stopped and looked at me, some giggled and walked past. I sighed and looked at my feet. I was soaked, my side hurt so much, and everyone walking past me and giggling at me wasn’t helping. I sighed and wished the headmaster would hurry up. 

I looked around and saw an elf and fairy with white wings step out of the elevator. The fairy held the door open for a centaur and several children heading downstairs to the apprentices area. A large orc walked past me. He was holding a piece of paper and a singed cloak. 

Alasdair! I realized. I almost stood up to talk to the orc but winced at the pain shooting through my side. He vanished into the Council room and I sighed. I leaned my head against the wall and went back to watching. A silver cloak caught my eye and I turned to see a tall woman with crystal beads in her hair. She was talking to a yeti with a black cloak. 

Several orcs and a minotaur walked past whispering about something in the desert. I watched as a selkie and human discussed the problems with living in a floating building. 

They weren’t wrong. Living in a floating building kinda stunk. It kept us protected but it also made our lives much harder. We were kinda trapped in here unless we could fly. Which meant I couldn’t go outside in the rain unless it happened to be raining when Fugaiungo landed.

I heard a door open and a tall Taniwha woman with warm brown skin and pitch black waves of hair walked in. Huge deep blue and crimson dragon wings extended from her back and a long prehensile tail curled through the air. The Cursed One! What is she doing here? I watched her walk over to the door of the Council room and pause. She looked over at me.

“Well, Enzi. In trouble again?” She looked at me and cocked her head. Her huge dragon wings unfurled slightly behind her. Her scales were a deep blue that faded to crimson at the tips. She had tall, arching horns that sprouted from the top of her head. The horns were a deep mahogany color and she was missing the top quarter of the right one. She wore a crimson dress with a high neck that was sleeveless. The hem hit the ground and trailed slightly. 

“Yep!” I smiled at her. She snorted little flames from her nostrils. Her nose was crooked. Like it had been broken at some point. A scar sliced across the bridge of her nose. Starting above her left eye and ending underneath her right. A second one cut across her right cheek. Scales trailed across her cheekbones. 

“Enzi. You know that isn’t a good thing?” Her voice was lower than I expected. 

“Yeah.” I sighed.

“You are soaking wet,” she observed. Her deep grey eyes looked me up and down. Her pupils were slitted ovals instead of round circles. 

“I am.” I looked down at myself.

“Was it the ghost again?”

I nodded vigorously.

“I’ll tell that to the Council.” I noticed a faint glow underneath the brown leather gauntlets on her forearms and palms. A small flame took shape above her palm. She passed it to me and I gratefully took the flame. 

“Really?” I began to dry my olive green tunic off.

She shrugged.

“I like you Enzi and I don’t want to see you get in trouble again. You seem like a good person,” she said. 

I positively radiated happiness at that. The Council would listen to her more than they would listen to me anyway. The Council didn’t really like her but when she had something to say they’d listen.

“You know something?” I said.

“Yes Enzi?” 

“I actually don’t know your name. You’ve just been the Cursed One.”

“Keahi. Yes, I’m just the Cursed One. I’m guessing you probably don’t know the Chosen One’s name either?”

“Erm. Yeah I don’t,” I said.

“It’s Anwar.”

Anwar and Keahi. Anwar and Keahi. I’ll remember both. It’s funny that I only ever heard them referred to by their titles or whatever they are called. People always putting the prophecy they’re in before the person behind it. Maybe I heard them referred to by their names once but I didn’t associate the names with the people.

“Enzi?” Keahi asked.

“Yeah?”

“How old are you?”

“I’m fourteen.” Same age as Prince Lupus of Eboncrest. At least that’s what my master said. I thought. 

“Fourteen and fighting in a war,” she whispered.

“Can I ask how old you are?” I asked, “Or is that disrespectful of my elders?”

Keahi laughed and smiled at me. I noticed her teeth were pointed and slightly serrated. Like a dragon’s. I realized.

“No, Enzi, no it’s not. I’m twenty one.”

“You aren’t that much older than me. That’s kinda scary to think about.”

She nodded.

“War does that to you. It’s a sad reality.” Her eyes were sad and she glanced into the distance. Suddenly the headmaster’s door opened next to me and she stepped out, closing the door behind her.

“Ah Enzi. I heard about the incident in water bending class,” Headmaster Reyes said. “Oh hello Keahi. Have you and Anwar decided what to do about the current situation?” Keahi sighed and shook her head. Then she spoke.

“Enzi and I were discussing some very interesting topics. I quite like their point of view.”

Headmaster Reyes nodded and asked me to join her in her office. Keahi smiled at me and turned towards the Council’s door.