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Thank god we were able to deal with that giant leach, if Coco didn’t come up with that plan I don’t know how we would have dealt with it other wise.
“Olruggio have you seen Qifrey?” Turning, he sees Beldaruit clearly concerned
“No not for a while I thought he was with coco?”
“Qifrey dropped coco off at the medical station, but he hasn’t been seen since”
Beldaruit has known Qifrey longer then Olruggio but he’s idea of Qifrey is outdated..
“Qifrey can do just fine on his own for a while I’m sure he’ll show up eventually..
and it’s not like we have the man power to send someone out looking for him right now anyway” Olruggio sighs and turns away from the wise man before him.
Qifrey and I are adults now I’m sure he’ll come back eventually…
Beldaruit gives a concerned look Olruggio’s way before heading off. Mostly to go help with whatever is left with the clean up.
~Iguins POV~
Qifrey has been to much of a problem for to long.
He’s been getting in the way of almost all his plans to get Coco to use forbidden magic and talked her out of it when she finally started to consider it! He had to be disposed of, or at least de-railed.
Qifrey had taken down that wise who pretended to be a brimmed cap. Too bad he had his sights set only on power and not the bigger picture, or else he could have worked with them.
Capturing Qifrey was surprisingly easy. All Iguin had to do was separate Qifrey from the herd, de-arm him with a simple water spell hit him hard enough with a spell to knock him out and Qifrey was helpless, and the addition of initial shock and delayed time reaction only went to aid Iguin further.
After taking Qifreys soaked drawing supplies and cloak, he used a restraining spell making Qifreys arms and legs useless. Then teleporting them to the brimmed caps agreed meet up place.
“Why who is this? A guest?” One of the brimmed hats ask Iguin as if this is a normal visit from a real guest and not a captive.
“I guess you could call him a surprise visitor” Iguan says looking over to the now visible 3 brimmed caps standing in the shadows.
“How rude showing up uninvited” Iguan hears a female voice behind him, turning around he sees Restys face half covered by her long white hair, tasseled ribbons hanging from her brimmed hat.
“If you’d allow me, I’d gladly take care of him for you” she says giving Iguan a slight smirk.
He already knew what she had in mind she was always trying to find victims or as she called them “specimens” to experiment on. Some times with Silver wood some times random spells whatever she felt like.
“You know, from what I have discovered this man already possesses the gift of the silver wood” Iguan tilts his head referring to Qifrey as he lays binned on the ground.
“Interesting, then maybe it be prudent of us to try a different approach with this one” now Iguan was lost.
“And what might that be?”
“We know how to implant the silver wood but what if one wished to be rid of the gift?”
She smiles and mimics the way Iguan titled his head. He was already getting tired of arguing with her over this, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with Qifrey but whatever it was he wanted it to hurt. Letting Restys have her way with the man would surly be painful but Iguan wanted to do it himself.
“Of you like I could use a hand or two while operating, you never know what could happen while exasperating with magic” she had some how read Iguans mind, he’d half to ask if she used a spell or just guessed later.
“Well then I couldn’t turn something like that down could I?” Iguan finally caved agreeing to her plans.
“He has the seed in his left eye socket, so I’m not quite sure how you would gain access to it” he new that the women was a bit off a genius when it came to things like this, most the time she ether found a loop hole or something just as good that would have some bad side effect to the patient.
“It won’t be easy to access it without damaging his brain” he states the obvious watching as the gears turn in Restys mind. He always found it entertaining to see her think of solutions in real time.
“Well we could easily gain access from the side off the seed through his other eye socket, yes?” There it was, a great idea just insane enough to fit in either the brimmed hats.
“Well then that settles it, let’s us be off” Iguan pics Qifrey up and teleports away knowing where Restys would want to operate.
This was going to be quite interesting..
~ Olruggio pov ~
It had been a day since the festival ended and the whole capital witnessed the true existent of magic..
Olruggio was alone in the Atelier, the girls were staying in the great hall being taught by Beldaruit until further notice. Aka whenever Qifrey decided to show up again..
At least he didn’t have to worry about commissions! Most his clients were either healing from the festival incident and the rest were trying to figure out what they missed.
Olruggio is more then confident in Qifreys skills and know’s he can handle himself but that won’t stop him from worrying about his best friend. Qifrey isn’t the type to just disappear on his own, or at least he isn’t anymore. Qifrey has responsibilities now and he knows this! He would never leave his apprentices behind in an emergency..
Beldaruit has sent out a few witches to find him Olruggio being one of them. Hey whatever gets him out of the atelier, and his mind off things.
It’s official been 3 days now without any word on Qifreys whereabouts, and Olruggio was starting to get desperate. It was to quiet in the Atelier without the girls and Qifrey to keep it warm and lively. Without them every meal felt more like a chore, Olruggio has just been living off of Qifreys convenient soups he always keeps in the collection of magical cook pots they owned.
Olruggio hadn’t slept in what felt like weeks but was really only a day or two, man he never felt this bad after skipping a few nights to work on a contraption, why did it feel so much worse then usual? They had to force Olruggio to take a day off from the search, he was way to out of shape to spend so many hours scouring the forest for his parter… or best friend? Olruggio was starting to wish he said something about his feelings instead of hiding them for so many years.. you never know when someone you love will be gone I guess.
The last place they found any sign of Qifrey was near that stupid forest his cloak and hat had been shredded and left at the edges of the tree line.
Theirs not a chance this was some sort of accident, Qifrey was attacked by something or someone.
“If it was the brimmed caps I swear on my life I’ll burn them and their stupid hats till theirs nothing left but ashes-“ Olruggio was scared, if this really was the work of the brimmed caps theirs little chance Qifrey will survive this encounter, and Olruggio wouldn’t know what to do if he was gone…
What would he do without Qifreys support whenever he works day and night on a contraption, and what would the girls do without his great guidance. Would they have to find new masters? Or would they just stay with Olruggio? He wouldn’t be able to take care of them on his own!
“Calm your nerves Olruggio I’m sure Qifreys alright, you know how he is.” Beldaruit try’s to reassure Olruggio, but not really succeeding. It had been another day with nothing to show for the hours of searching all day and Olruggio was feeling like he would do anything in order to get his parter back, only if to tell him what he wishes he told him all those years ago..
7 days since Qifrey went missing, Olruggio finished off Qifreys soups a few days ago and had mostly been eating out since, he hadn’t had the energy to make food for himself. The Atelier was a bit off a mess specifically Olruggios quarters had dishes and dirty clothes laying around. His customers have been on hold for the past few days after quick recovery’s and he wasn’t sure how long they would be willing to wait for his return.. knowing nobles, they won’t care much about his parter going missing, just wanting his services and spells.
It had felt like forever since he’s had a break a real break, a break where Qifrey would make him a snake to take his mind off work and they would sit and drink together.
Olruggio felt like shit probably looked like it to, but it wasn’t like Qifrey was here to tell him off for it like he usually would, and what was the point of looking good if it wasn’t for Qifreys gaze? There was just really no point… then that’s when he heard it. The Writhing of the magic mail started, Olruggio dashed over hopping for what he wanted to see, and he saw it. A summoning to the great hall at once.
Qifrey had been found.
Rushing to the window way he forces the heavy stone wheel to spin as fast as he can, feeling like the longest it has ever taken to set up a portal way he runs through. Trying not to bump into people as he makes his way down the street as fast as he can to the healing spire. Once he’s there he almost brakes the door off its hinges from how hard he opened it.
“WHERE’S QIFREY?” He try’s to shout but it comes out more as a desperate plea from a man out off breath and out of shape.
“Please keep your voice down, he’s in the same room as last time but I must warn you before you go in-“ but before Sinoca could finish her sentence Olruggio was already speed walking towards Qifreys room.
Bursting in the door way the first thing he sees is Beldaruit his massive frame being impossible to miss, but it’s the look on Beldaruits face that scares Olruggio more. The old man for what felt like the first time in ages wasn’t smiling wasn’t trying to bring up the mood, he just looked unsettled and sad, almost on the verge of tears even. Olruggio had never seen or even heard of a wise crying before!
But before fully comprehending what that meant he looks past Beldaruit to Qifrey who’s laying on his side, clearly unconscious in the bed face turned towards the wall. As Olruggio approaches he feels like he’s walking in slow motion, his heart pounding aggressively in his chest, as if it was already crying out for Qifrey. Walking up to the bed Olruggio as lightly as he can brushes Qifreys bangs off his face so he could see Qifreys face, But instead the only thing he was met with was a bandage covering both Qifreys eyes, even though he only had the one.
“W-what? Why is there-?” Olruggio stutters
That’s when he notices the bandages also around his writhing arm also held in a cast.
Sinocia rushes in clearly shocked by Olruggios speeds, he will be offended by that latter. But Before she can get a word out Beldaruit speaks.
“We found him near the..” he looks away closing his eyes as if disgusted by what he was about to say “the coffin, where we first found him..” Olruggio freezes as if time itself stoped, that means this was the brimmed hats doing. They must have grabbed Qifrey during all the panic and confusion from the leach attack. Then was the whole thing just a diversion so they could get their hands on him? No, he can think about that right now, he needs to focus on Qifrey!
“Please Olruggio, Qifrey needs rest his arm is badly broken and he’s missing his eye-“
“WHAT” Olruggio whips around like he wasn’t out of breath a minute ago “what did you just say about his eye?” No no no no no..
“Umm by the time they brought him here his eye was gone.. there wasn’t a thing we could do.. his right arm is broken in more then one place, but it should almost fully heal in time..” Sinoca looks away awkwardly, clearly seeing the pain in Olruggio’s eyes
This couldn’t be happening, not now! They were finally happy, they had gotten their lives together! What were they going to do now? Would Qifrey still be able to use magic? What were they going to do with the girls?
He can’t worry about that right now, right now Olruggio needs to focus on Qifrey and his recovery.
It has been about two days since Qifreys return, they told his Apprentices who were over the moon but didn’t understand why they weren’t allowed to visit him in the healing pire. Both Beldaruit and Olruggio knew Qifrey wouldn’t want his apprentices’ seeing him in such a state, they had been told that they are to continue study’s at the great hall until Qifrey is able to make a full recovery. If that ever happens..
Nooo Olruggio can’t be thinking like that right now, Qifrey still hasn’t waken up since his return and Olruggio had to be forced out of the healing spire or else he would never leave. The real tragedy is that Olruggio forgot about the lunch rush and made the mistake of going to the cafeteria at lunch time.
“I better get out off here before someone spots me here-“ before Olruggio could finish muttering to himself someone grabs his shoulder almost scaring him out of his skin.
“PREDIS OLRUGGIO IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU BACK HERE AT THE GREAT HALL!” Ohhh my he is loud. It appears Olruggio has been spotted, maybe is he tells Hiehart Olruggio’s only here because his friend is hurt he’ll leave him alone.
“I’m sorry Hiehart but I can’t really talk right now I just want to grab some food and get back to the healing spire”. Olruggio says as slowly and tiresomely as humanly possible, if only Olruggio was pretending.
“Ah and why are you needed at the healing pire Predis Olruggio?” He’s never going to drop that “predis” business no matter how many times Olruggio asks him to.
“My uhhh partner is gravely injured and I’m awaiting their recovery” Olruggio hesitates on the world partner wondering if it’s the right label for what him and Qifrey have.
“I am sorry your visit to the great hall is in due to such circumstances, please allow me to get some food for you Olruggio predis!”
Before Olruggio can kindly decline Hiehart is already pushing his way through people to the counter to order food for him and Olruggio. He appreciates Hiehart’s kindness but Olruggio isn’t even in the mood to eat, he doubts he can keep Much down for to long other then some basic soups and bread, hopefully it’s just a coincidence that’s mostly what Qifrey keeps in the kitchen.
“Sorry about him I look away for a second and he’s off bothering someone before I can even blink!” Olruggio turns seeing the girl standing behind him, Jujy Hieharts apprentice. She looks taken a back after seeing Olruggio’s state almost scared more likely for him then anything.
“Wow you look… worse then usual, what happened?” What a way to start off this conversation.
“My partner is in the healing spire and I’ve been staying at the great hall until they recover” that only makes Jujy look more shocked somehow, jaw dropping open as if Olruggio had just said the most shocking news in the world.
“Wait you have a partner? YOU? I never really thought the guy who refused to commit to an apprenticeship would commit to a relationship, don’t mean to be rude.”
Olruggio roles his eyes but before he can say anything in response Hieharts comes back with two bowls full of what looks to be some kind of stew.
“Sorry predis Olruggio they only had stew left” Hiehart says before handing the bowl to Olruggio. “Oh hi Jujy sorry I didn’t get you one but you can have mine!” Olruggio finds Hiehart kind and courageous, not to mention his amazing apprentice they’re both great witches in their own ways but together the duo is almost unstoppable.
“Master did you know about Olruggios partner?” Jujy turns to Hiehart with a raised eyebrow.
“Actually it’s Qifrey, he’s finally been found and isn’t in good shape-“ the bags under Olruggios eyes somehow darken at his words. “Thank you for the stew but I really must be going” but before Olruggio is able to shuffle away Hiehart puts a strong hand on his shoulder.
“Nonsense you just arrived please sit and eat with us! I’ll go get another bowl of stew for myself” walking Olruggio over to a table and lightly shoving him down Hiehart easily forces Olruggio onto a seat at one of the long lunch tables. Jujy sits next to Olruggio while Hiehart sits across the table facing Olruggio.
Jujy almost immediately puts her bowl of stew down and turns to Olruggio who’s already started spooning his stew into his mouth.
“So Qifrey and you are like… a thing?” And Just like that, Olruggios chocking on his stew.
“Oh- I- uhhh-“ Olruggio try’s to speak through sputters and coughs. “Me and Qifrey are partners in work, and- and life, you know? we live together and I help with his apprentices-“
Olruggio feels like he’s going to lose what little food he has in his stomach. He’s always loved the white haired witch, ever since they were kids. No he’s never actually said or expressed these feelings directly- the closest he could get to confessing is making Qifrey contraptions and spells that make him comfortable or happy. Olruggio didn’t want to mess up what they already had going for themselves by making it more complicated with his stupid “feelings” he was happy living with Qifrey and helping with his Apprentices. Olruggio never told anyone about his feelings, terrified Qifrey would hear it from another. If Qifrey was going to find out he would want to do it himself, not because someone else told Qifrey.
“Ohhh the white haired water witch you like?” Olruggio is 90% sure he just felt his heart stop. How did Hiehart know? No one was supposed to know, NO ONE SHOULD KNOW!
“How did you-“
“I see the way you look at him, and I could tell from the way you talk about him. Honestly I’m shocked no one else has noticed Predis Olruggio”. No one had really seen Olruggio as the type to date, with his over working and unkept tendencies he was mostly written off as another over worked lonely witch.
Something in Hieharts eyes started glowing at the absolute terror on Olruggios face.
“Predis Olruggio don’t tell me you haven’t told him of your feelings yet??” Hiehart beams like someone who just discovered magic for the first time. Olruggio didn’t like where this was going, but no doubt things won’t be the same as before after this. Especially with Qifrey..
“You never know when someone you love will be gone, so you might as well tell them when they’re still here. That’s something my Mother told me and exactly why I think you should tell the lucky man how you feel!” Olruggio didn’t like the idea off telling Qifrey especially after such a traumatic event. But Hiehart did have a point.. Olruggio had been terrified at the thought of never getting to tell Qifrey his feelings. Would it be worth the risk of telling him?
Jujy looks disapprovingly at her master before speaking “I’m sorry we’ve protruded your privacy, I shouldn’t have asked about something so personal that was none of my business.” Olruggio really was impressed by just how wise Jujy was at such a young age, it wouldn’t shock him if she became one of the wise after graduating.
“It’s alright, I agree with your master- “ Hiehart gasps smiling and glowing like never before. “But.. I just don’t think I could.. especially not with all he’s been through recently-“ Hiehart slumps over the table like he’s just seen the greatest tragedy.
“But Predis Olruggio-“ but before he could finish his sentence Jujy had stood up and put her hand over his mouth.
“I think it’s about time we go, I do apologize for my masters intrusions but I do hope he at least gave you some good advice” before anymore could be said Jujy and Hiehart were wisked away like they had never been their in the first place.
While Olruggio finishes up his stew he hears the doors to the hall burst open and strains his neck to see what the haste was about only for the witch who burst through to run straight to him.
“OLRUGGIO OF THE TORTCH- ITS QIFREY HE’S..”
The witch was clearly out off breath from running but before he could catch it Olruggio had already taken off to the healing spire. He already knew what the witch was going to tell him any way.
Qifrey was awake..