A Boda of New Beginnings for a Once Wandering Heart Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Rutile: Thank you, Owen.

I bet everyone back home will be surprised to see such a strong wizard like you appear.

Mitile: R-Rutile…maybe we should rethink this…?

He tugged on his brother’s sleeve, staring at the cookies that were disappearing one by one with a nervous face. On the flipside, Rutile was all smiles.

Akira: (It’s not that I want to exclude Owen, but I do get where Mitile’s coming from…what should we do?)

That was when Lennox lowered his face to Mitile’s, whispering in his ear. 

Lennox: No worries. There’s me, Shylock, and Nero to help if anything happens.

Besides, I’m sure that all Owen wants is the desserts served at the wedding.

Seeing his small smile, Mitile relaxed and gave a nod. 

Shylock: Well, it’s time we put ourselves to work. We do want this to be a fantastic wedding after all. 

Nero: Err, who’s ‘we’?

Eh…guess I could bring some cookies. 

The kids did lose theirs, and I bet you wanna eat more, Owen. 

Owen: Please.

Mitile: Thank you Mr. Nero!

Akira: (Thanks to the three of them, we managed to settle down a bit…)

(It’s a strange party we’re bringing to the event, but…I’m looking forward to how it will turn out.)

After a couple days of preparations and figuring out who’s coming, the day finally arrived.

Wearing the clothes Chloe made for us, we all headed to the Town of Clouds.

Rutile: I feel so fresh and classy in these! They’re perfect.

Akira: And the flowers we each have pinned to our chests are all unique…!

Shylock: That’s Chloe’s brilliance for you. He already had wedding attire at the ready and added a Southern flair to them.

He put his best wishes for the newly wedded into these very seams, since he would be absent. 

Lennox: That sort of consideration’s just like him.

Nero: Riquet, feel free to scarf down any food y’see. I’ll magic away the stains for ya. 

Riquet: Ugh, how old am I to you!

Mitile: I need to give my thanks to Chloe once we get back. I am so ready to celebrate in this tux!

Owen: Well I’m not.

The reason our northern wizard was in such a bad mood despite participating in this wedding ceremony himself was because of the presence of the world’s favourite wizard.

Oz: …

Owen: Why is this guy here. 

Riquet: I invited him because he had nothing better to do. Wouldn’t Oz be lonely if we all left without him?

Owen: Hah, lonely, he says. How pathetic, you’re being pitied by a child.

Riquet: I do not want to be called a child by the man who attended a wedding just for the desserts.

Mitile: R-Riquet!

Owen: What was that? You know, I think that bride’s dress could use a red paint dye using your blood. 

Oz: Owen. Do you think you could attempt to do anything with me here?

Owen: Tch. This really is the worst. 

Rutile: Come on now, everyone. No fighting on this glorious day!

Akira: (Maybe Oz is here to look after Owen too…?)

Uhm, the wedding’s going to be held at the edge of town, right?

Lennox: Yes. A little further and we should see an arch. That’s our destination.

Mitile: The arch is decorated by the townspeople on the days leading up to the wedding. We helped out also when we were in town!

Everyone makes the wedding dress for the bride too. 

He pumps out his chest in pride. 

Akira: It’s really admirable how every single thing’s done by the townspeople…!

Compared to other countries, South Country is underdeveloped. In exchange, the relations between residents are ever deeper. 

They treat their neighbours not as strangers, but as extended family.

Akira: (Today’s gonna be good.)

???: Waaaah!

Rutile, Mitile, & Riquet: !?

The wind blew and carried with it panic and clamour, disturbing the peaceful atmosphere. 

Mitile: W-Was that a scream just now…? I think it was coming from the venue…!

Lennox: Something must have happened. Let’s go.

Akira: What is…

We rushed to the scene, and found a chaotic mess instead of a graceful venue. 

Chairs were broken, and the arch that Mitile spoke of was split in the middle. 

???: Lennox!

Underneath it, was a man calling out Lennox’s name.

Like a lost younger brother spotting his older brother, relief echoed in his tone. Even so, those chestnut brown eyes of his held panic. 

Next to him was a veiled woman with furrowed brows, looking at us with sorrow.

Luca: Thank goodness, you came! The thing is…

Huh, who’re you…?

Akira: It’s nice to meet you. I’m the Sage Akira. Are you Luca and…?

Emily: Emily. We’ve heard of you from Lennox. It’s such a shame to be meeting under these conditions,

especially since we’ve been wanting to meet you for a while. I’m so sorry, you all came just to see this. I don’t think we’ll be holding the wedding today…

Akira: Oh no, don’t apologize! Could you tell us what happened before we arrived?

Oz: I sense traces of magic.

Mitile: …!

Mitile anxiously observes our surroundings.

Mitile: Did a bad wizard wanting to take over the town come…?

There was a story that Mitile once heard.

A story about an evil wizard who once tried to take over the Town of Clouds, but was fended off by Tiletta. 

Emily: No, not at all! That little wizard, Al, he didn’t mean to…

Lennox: Al? Is he someone you two know?

Luca: Yeah. He’s a wizard around your age, Mitile, and he saved us the other day from a wolf in the nearby forest. 

We don’t know his situation, but he’s been living there all alone. 

Emily: He wouldn’t come to town when we asked him to, but he finally did when we invited him to our wedding!

He even gave us words of congratulations…I was so happy, but…

Luca: For a second he looked to be in pain, and that’s when the destruction happened. 

Emily: Al shouted at us to run though! It seemed that his magic ran out of control. He must’ve been so scared…

Oz: The traces of magic left here are weak and brittle.

Yet I also sense the influence of the Great Calamity mixed within.

Luca & Emily: The Great Calamity…!?

Lennox: Due to the Great Calamity’s last visit, there have been strange anomalies occurring all over the land.

Rutile: I do remember a mission where we had a case of a wizard’s magic going out of control…

Luca: Even though he came here to congratulate us…he may be a wizard, but he’s still a child. He’s probably scared out of his mind right now…

Lennox: …Luca, Emily. Could you leave Al to us?

Luca: No, we’ll come with you! 

Seeing their earnest expressions and sincere words, I could tell that they cared for this Al from the bottom of their hearts. 

Lennox put his hand on Luca’s shoulder, trying to comfort him.

Lennox: I know from your words alone that this Al bears no malice. 

But if the Great Calamity’s involved, we don’t know what could happen.

There’s a chance that Al might hurt you against his own wishes.

Besides, you two are going to be married. I want you to wait here.

The couple stared into each other’s eyes for a bit, nodding in decision.

Luca: …We understand.

Al disappeared from the venue in order to stop anymore destruction. I think he went into the forest. 

You know that massive tree in the middle of the forest with a hollow in it? He’s made home there. 

Lennox, I trust Al to you.

Lennox: Leave it to me.

Like tightly knotted threads had come undone, Luca’s expression began to brighten at Lennox’s words.

Luca: Hearing you say those words always fills me with hope that things will go okay.

Takes me back to when we worked together.

Lennox: …

Mm. It will be alright. 

His expression darkened for a moment. It was so brief, I couldn’t figure at all what he was thinking. 

All of a sudden, a racket of footsteps was heard behind us, and when we turned we found the townspeople who had evacuated earlier. 

Townsperson: Mitile, I’m sorry to ask this of you even though you just arrived, but we need your help.

We don’t have many injured among us, but my child tripped over debris during the chaos. 

Mitile: I can help! Sorry, Mr. Leno, is it alright if I stay in town?

Lennox: Yeah, that’s a good idea. Will you be alright on your own? Can we…

Youngster: Woah, mister! Are you that hungry? You shouldn’t eat the food in that condition…

Owen: Shut it. I do what I want.

When we looked over, we saw Owen at a broken-legged table, scooping up the crumbled desserts into his mouth.

Owen: I come all the way to the countryside, and get dragged into this mess? What a pain. Hey, you wanna end up all mushed like this cake?

Oz: …I will stay behind. 

He meant to say that he’ll be watching over him. 

 

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