Children with Stars in their Veins (Chapter 2.2)

a/n: hey, thanks for checking out Starry Veins! This is the novel I wrote for Round V of LMS, and it's still a first draft! While I don't discourage any feedback, I prefer not to receive feedback on grammar! I'm not polishing this draft up yet, so I'm not as concerned about editing. I am, of course, open to all feedback, but I ask that you keep this in consideration! Thanks <3

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[Mishal]

Mishal sighed and rubbed the side of his face. “Guildmaster Margaretta invited Isadora and I to accompany an expedition to one of the ruins for study. There’s lost history there that the Guildmaster wants to uncover for our records.” He had to stop then, as Alanna’s expression grew more and more downtrodden the longer he spoke.

“You’re going to study one of the ruins?” Rowan asked. “Why’d she pick only the two of you?”

“Because we’re the oldest,” Mishal replied. He almost said more, but then glanced over at Rowan, who was frowning. It was almost… pained.

Ember had her arms crossed over her chest. “Aren’t the ruins haunted or cursed or something? What if you die?”

“Ember!” Mishal hissed, eyeing Alanna. She looked as though she was close to either tears or screaming. She stared towards him with bright, watery eyes, but he wondered if she was seeing him or not.

“Why didn’t Isa tell me?” Alanna wondered morosely. Then she promptly sat upon the ground, or perhaps collapsed was the better word, and stared sullenly at the dirt. Her nails absently raked over the soil, tearing up the tiny sprigs of grass beginning to burst from the soil. It must have still been hardened from the cold season. It couldn’t have been comfortable.

The question struck Mishal in the chest and he tried to swallow back the sticky sensation in his throat at Alanna’s anguish. “We only found out last night. She likely meant to and hadn’t gotten around to it yet. You’ve both been busy today.”

“Because you’re the oldest,” Rowan muttered, and kicked a stone. “I’m only a few months younger.”

Mishal stifled another sigh and approached the rack of training swords instead. He set the hilt of the one he’d picked out into the clasp and then snapped it shut, the metal icy under his fingers. He hadn’t brought a jacket, figuring he’d be plenty warm once he began training, but the adrenaline didn’t last.

“But how did Cassius know? Why didn’t you tell us?” Alanna asked behind him. He wasn’t sure whether her tone was more accusing or forlorn.

He went to Ember and collected her sword at well. She was still watching him through narrowed eyes.

“Because Cassius eavesdropped,” Mishal said, with more venom than perhaps was necessary. His head was beginning to ache. He went to put the training sword back onto its proper rack. “We’re not even leaving right away. It’s still some weeks out. Thirteenth day of New Bloom.”

“Yeah, and how long will you be gone?” Ember asked. Her eyes were hard and her jaw set.

“Which ruin are you even going to?” Rowan chimed in, still sounding petulant.

“The Valley Ruins. They’re the closest,” he said. “And I don’t know. The Guildmaster didn’t say. I guess it depends on how long it takes to get there, and how much there is to study.”

“I hope there’s nothing.” Alanna stood up. She didn’t meet anyone’s gaze. “I’m going inside.”

Mishal’s heart sank as he watched her turn and begin striding purposefully away. “Pika,” he tried. “You haven’t even taken your lesson yet.”

She didn’t turn back around. “Don’t wanna.”

As he watched her walk away, he wished he could just open his mouth and say something. His mouth might as well have been sewn shut.

Alanna would get over it. She had to. She needed some alone time, as she always did when she was upset, but then she’d come around.

When Guildmaster Margaretta had opened the offer for him and Isadora to come with on an expedition, he hadn’t thought the others would be upset. He’d miss training with Alanna and Ember, he’d miss his alchemy lessons with Rowan. He’d miss…

He could do without Cassius’ pranks and general irresponsibility.

“I’ve got to go practise my creation from nothing,” Rowan declared. They scooped their things up from the ground and dumped it into the satchel they carried. When they glanced back up at him, however, their expression softened. “I promised Professor Coquelin I’d work on it so there’s no more mishaps.”

They nodded to him, which was about the best he was going to get, before setting out.

“You’re going to train me with flails again, before you leave,” Ember said. Her arms were still crossed, but her jaw wasn’t set anymore. There was a slight curl to her lip.

“Says who?” he asked warily.

“Says me,” she said. “You’ve got to make up for abandoning us all by doing what I say.” Then she smiled, and he wasn’t sure whether it was genuinely gleeful or not.

He frowned. “I’m not abandoning anyone.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, yeah. I don’t make the rules, I just know ‘em. They say ‘In case of sudden departure, guilty party’s got to make it up to the victim.’ Victim says no more swords.”

“You’re not a victim,” he told her. “And that’s not a real thing.”

“Too late, it is now.” She snatched the pouch that he’d set aside. “Anyway, I’ve got places to be. Better make this up to Pika.”

Then she skipped away, stray frizzes of curls jumping around her head.

They couldn’t possibly have believed all six of them would stay at the Chroniclers’ Citadel forever. They’d all experience the world one way or another. It wasn’t his fault that the others were younger. This was a huge undertaking. It was a good thing.

So they’d be gone, but it wasn’t like they’d never see each other again. Why couldn’t the others see that?

* * *

At dinner the following night, tension had appeared to more or less dissipate to some degree. Alanna was still moping and had been mostly quiet ever since their training session. Isadora hadn’t spoken much either.

Mishal almost didn’t notice the smile threatening Cassius’ mouth when they all sat at the long table.

He hesitated to reach for his food. Cassius didn’t even bring his hands up to eat. He was watching everyone else, his eyes bright as he scanned the table.

Glancing around, he watched as Alanna picked half-heartedly at the stuffed chicken. Ember, sitting next to Cassius, was eyeing her as she cut a slice of her own food. Isadora leaned over to Alanna and wordlessly cut a piece of the chicken for her.

Rowan was meticulously slicing his food as the two girls both took bites. Mishal glanced back at Cassius, but it was short-lived when Alanna shrieked. Ember spit her food out and grabbed a glass of water.

Cassius burst into a fit of laughter as everyone turned, bewildered, to Alanna and Ember.

“What’s wrong?” Isadora asked. “What happened?”

Alanna was pale and looked vaguely ill, and Isadora touched her forehead gingerly. Ember turned to glare at Cassius. “There’s beetles in this.”

It only made Cassius laugh harder, until there were tears in the corner of his eyes. Mishal scowled at him and shoved his own plate away.

“Ew!” Alanna cried. “Ew, Cassius, ew! That’s— ew!” She began spitting onto her plate, but she’d apparently swallowed the bite she’d already taken. “I just ate bugs, that’s so gross, Cassius! Why would you do that?!”

Isadora seemed to be trying to give Cassius a stern expression, her lips pressed tightly together to contain her own mirth. Ember was starting to snicker now too, even though she had been one of the recipients.

He turned to Rowan, who was watching the proceedings with little reaction. Until they glanced down at their food, curious. Cassius tried to stifle his giggles to watch them.

Then Rowan took a bite of the chicken and began to crunch on it with a thoughtful expression. Cassius immediately stopped laughing and stared at them with faint horror. Ember put her hands over her mouth but hadn’t ceased her own amusement. Alanna’s mouth was open as she stared with the same nauseated expression as before at Rowan. Isadora watched them with her eyebrows raised.

Mishal shifted on the sleek wooden bench. He was uncomfortably aware of the gazes of many of the Dining Hall’s residence. All their parents were only a table away, although seemed bemused of the situation.

Across the hall, on a raised dais, the Guildmaster was watching them with an unreadable expression on her face.

“I put beetles in that!” Cassius whispered loudly, eyes wide as he stared at Rowan. “What are you doing?”

Rowan glanced up. “Not poisonous beetles, I take it?”

Cassius stared at them, then shook his head meekly. “No, why would I—?”

“Well then,” they said. “No harm done.” And without waiting for a respond, took another bite of their chicken.

Alanna whined from her place between him and Isadora. “That’s disgusting!”

“Why? It’s not like they’re alive anymore.” They shrugged. “The crunch is a little off putting though.”

Ember laughed wildly into her hands while Cassius stared down at his food, mildly horrified. Isadora was still pressing her lips together, but now she’d taken to rubbing Alanna’s back. Alanna had her face buried in her hands.

“The crunch is off putting,” Ember sniggered through her hands.

“I’m going to go get some uncontaminated supper,” Mishal said, and stood up. “You shouldn’t waste food, Cassius.”

“He’s not the one wasting the food,” Rowan pointed out, munching on another bite of the stuffed chicken. “You’re all cowards.”

As he collected everyone’s beetle-filled food—save Rowan—and made Cassius give his to Alanna, a pang settled into his chest. He wouldn’t have this, for months. There would be no more dinners with all six of them, settled around a table. He wouldn’t miss having beetle-infested food, but…

He found he was hardly hungry by the time he’d returned with the new servings of food, and it wasn’t because of the thought of any beetles crawling through it.

word count:

1,634