The name Tor sounded familiar, but it took a while for Leon to place it. Ah, he thought under a sudden eureka moment, that was the name of one of Leo"s bullies! He flinched inwardly as he recalled it, but was unable to do much else than swallow that knowledge down. After all, Teacher Sagi had left him in Tor"s care.Being completely without vision, Leon needed a guide to aid him back to his small hut. Teacher Sagi naturally did not think this would be difficult nor burdensome task, all the student accommodation was cl.u.s.tered together in groups separated by small walls. Maimai"s cauldron had breeched the wall in flight, so Teacher Sagi would need to supply her with a new one as well as speak to the stonemasons in Julip town to fix the wall. He sighed, Maimai was not really suited for alchemy, the Teachers were well aware, but her father had placed those restrictions, they could only comply for now. The more pressing issue was fixing Leo"s gla.s.ses.
"Ah, M-Mino at the F-Food Hall," Leon mentioned, "p-p-perhaps he c-could sp-speak to B-blacksmith M-Mars apprentice for m-me."
"A friend of yours?" Teacher Sagi asked and Leon nodded in reply. "Alright, I will ask young Mino if he can be of a.s.sistance. In the meantime, does anyone know the location of Leo"s hut?" He was quick enough to notice a few guilty looks upon older students, but none volunteered.
"I do," said the boy standing beside Leon.
"Fine, guide him back, Tor," Teacher Sagi instructed. "I may need you to be his eyes for the next couple of days."
"Understood," Tor replied.
"I"ll help too!" young Maimai chimed in. Several students glared unhappily in Leon"s direction, but he couldn"t see a single one! "It was my fault that the gla.s.ses were broken."
"Agreed," Teacher Sagi replied, much to the dismay of many male alchemist apprentices. "I"ll leave Leo in your care!" A warm slender arm wrapped about Leon"s one and he also felt the session of something soft and plush lean against him, but he couldn"t figure out what exactly it was, so he paid it no mind. He barely heard the teacher"s soft footsteps fall in a path away from him, but sensed anyway that the man had left.
"This way," Tor"s voice stated beside him.
"Merylin," Maimai called out to her sister. "Do you wish to come with us?"
"Unfortunately, I am unable to," the girl replied in her clear and calm voice, although Leon thought he detected a hint of disappointment in her voice. He figured that he must be mistaken, he very much doubted Miss Merylin really wanted walk to his home with him. She had no reason to, they did not know each other. "I failed to create the pill I was working on, so I must clean out my cauldron."
"Failed?" Miss Maimai sounded shocked and then asked pitifully; "Was it my fault, sister? Did I mess with your creation due to my loss of control again?"
"Do not worry yourself of blames and faults," the other girl replied. "Just hurry home soon."
"Alright!" Leon felt that if he could see more than the shape of her alabaster face, then he would see Maimai with a broad grin upon her sunny face at that moment.
Tor began to guide them carefully to the rear of the compound and beyond. Leon was not daunted by the increasing number of steps taken, after all he was aware how far away he lived, but he felt the grip upon his arm tighten. "Excuse me," Maimai squeaked, suddenly, "but may I ask where we are going? I thought we were guiding Leo, (wasn"t it?) back to his hut."
"We are," Tor replied shortly, not pausing as he spoke.
"But, we"ve left the compounds," Maimai pointed out. She tugged Leon slightly as she manoeuvred him pa.s.sed a large rock. Leon almost tripped, but Tor caught his other arm and made the boy hold his arm so he could guide him better. Tor hadn"t realised just how bad the youth"s vision was. He felt a little guilty that he had not talked sense into Caprian and had even had a hand in bullying all that brute"s victims.
"Leo doesn"t live in the compound," he said, dully, even more guilt rising in his gut.
"You don"t?" Maimai asked, addressing him.
Leon shook his head slightly. "N-no, b-but it"s fine," Leon said, hoping to rea.s.sure her. "M-m-my c-cauldron exploded and hit a tree, b-but only the b-birds witnessed it!"
Maimai laughed a little, perhaps even feeling better that she was not the only one to mess up sometimes. Since being here, she felt like she was definitely worse than other new students and although she practiced so hard so not to humiliate herself anymore, it seemed to always be in vain.
"What w-were you tr-trying to m-m-make?" Leon asked her.
"Just clear spiritual pills," she murmured, ashamed.
"Hmmm," Leon had failed in his first attempt at making those as well, so he could sympathise. "D-did you know th-that you c-can m-make those on the d-d-dying em-bers of a fire?"
"What really?" Maimai asked. Leon nodded in agreement. "You don"t need to temper the fire?" He shook his head, but added;
"Only for c-c-clear spiritual p-pills though." The perfume of mature herbs upon the wind tickled his nose and he sighed in relief knowing that they were not now far from his home. A few minutes later he felt Tor falter.
"Wow! So pretty!" Maimai exclaimed.
"Are you not worried someone might steal the herbs?" Tor asked him.
"Why?" Leon asked him curiously. Honestly, they were mostly common herbs, easily obtainable from the Herb Hall, unless you counted the ones he grew for flavouring. The rest of the garden was filled with vegetables and fruit bushes. Tor did not reply, but lead him to the door, startled to see the thick lock upon it. Leon bent down and nearly pressed it to his eye before being able to see the keyhole in order to unlock it, but he managed well. "C-come in," he invited, feeling that he should at least try and be hospitable.
Maimai did not hesitate and followed him to his narrow cot, asking him questions about the herbs in his garden, why he lived so far away, what was the metal contraption against the wall? He answered some of these, but not all, sensing Tor was not all that comfortable, but even that boy could not restrain his curiosity about the stove.
"Who are you people?" A voice suddenly demanded.
Of course, Leon recognised the voice immediately. "Jin Li? Oh I should make tea!" He made to get off of the bed thinking where he had placed everything in his mind"s eye.
"Where are your gla.s.ses?" Jin Li asked and Leon felt two hands on his shoulders forcing him to sit once more. Fingers then pinched his chin and lifted his face upward slightly and he could just make out Jin Li"s face as it came nearer and then two piercing black eyes when he came close enough to share breath...
"There was an accident," Tor advised.