Kapitel 24: CHAPTER 24: Making Friends

The moment Ashen popped out at the academy, he was immediately assaulted by a considerable number of eyes,

Looking around, he saw a lot of students slowly back away from him and he couldn't help but sadly smile in a way that made him want to cry,

"I could have died and not a single person would miss me," he thought before looking down at his tattered and burnt clothes while wondering where Green, the winged beast, had gone or disappeared to,

Stuck in his thoughts, he dug his hand into his pocket to check if his wand had been strong enough to make it back when he suddenly felt someone slap his back,

Unused to such treatment, Ashen was just about to warn them off since he thought it was most likely someone new trying to bully him when he unexpectedly heard a familiar voice,

"Boy...am I glad to see you alive and well. When I didn't see you arrive for a long time, I was getting worried and Anared would definitely have blamed himself," Natel said the moment Ashen turned to face him with a big friendly smile on his face which Ashen couldn't help but return,

"Eeehm...how is Anared's arm," Ashen then asked, a little worried about him since Ashen was there when it had been torn off by the giant lizard,

"He's getting patched up as we speak and I know this because I checked every three minutes to make sure until he decided to send me away, allowing me to come back on the condition I came with you," Natal explained before pointing at Ashen's appearance,

"...and what the hell happened to you?" He asked and Ashen just began thinking of a reasonable reply when he suddenly felt a big cloak, land heavily on his face, right as another familiar voice streamed into his ears,

"You big idiot...you… I have no idea, who healed you but they did a pretty good job of it but the least you could have done was take a bath. You're stinking up the entire place," she yelled while doing her best to cover her nostrils with her left hand, even though it barely worked and she was standing too close to him not to smell the stench,

"Really...I don't think I smell that bad, Ara," Ashen replied with a huge smile delighted to see Ara whom he always thought would be too afraid to step up to him, because of her reputation.

"You smell horrendous. I have no idea how Natal can bare to stand so close to you," Ara sniffed as she took another step back, signalling to Ashen to cover his body with the heavy Cloak she had just passed to him,

"You know him?" Ashen asked with a look of surprise on my face, turning to look at Ara for answers,

"Of course. He and his mushy best friend, Anared, are in my class," Ara beamed making funny faces at Natal, the moment she mentioned Anared's name,

"I have no idea what's gotten into you," Natal simply said shaking his head as he spoke, surprised to see the usually quiet girl he knew and barely spoke to showing a goofy and funny side of her,

"Anyways, I have to go. I'm helping the healers with whatever they need and I've stayed away for too long," Ara said, waving to them before dashing away towards a tent that had been set up for emergency services,

"Knowing Ara, it's more likely that she's helping them in order to learn more about healing magic. One thing Ara cares about for sure is learning Magic and various types at that," Natal explained to Ashen until he noticed that the person he was speaking to was barely listening and all his attention was still on Ara's back as she walked away.

"You like her…," Natal said, saying exactly what he gleaned from the small interaction between her and Ashen, and those three words were enough to jerk Ashen back to reality as he immediately began to blubber,

"Wha...What...m..m...me? Of course not. She's just a friend," Ashen replied trying to convince Natal otherwise but from the smile on Natal's face it was already a lost cause,

"In case someone else baits you like that next time, the best reply you can give is a simple " no". The fact that you became super self-conscious and anxious is proof enough," Natal patiently explained with a smirk on his face, somehow delighted to know more about Ashen's love life.

Natal had barely finished speaking when they both suddenly heard a booming voice silence them, immediately demanding their attention,

"Students! Since everyone is safe and sound. You will all be given an hour to recuperate before gathering in the second year hall to hear the results of the exam," Headmaster Dramus said after using magic to increase the pitch of his voice.

"Take a rest and change your clothes. Visit the health section if you feel a need to and we'll meet in one hour," he continued right before disappearing along with headmaster Aleesia, the head of the third years.

Everyone on the field began dispersing in different directions and even Ashen was about to begin walking in the direction of his dormitory to take a rest and a bath, after coming to the conclusion from sniffing himself, that indeed he truly stank when he felt Natal grab his arm to stop him,

"Where are you going?"

"Eeermm...my room?" Ashen replied while waiting patiently to know what Natal wanted,

"Nope. You're going to the Health building. You can take a bath there, while at the same time, I'll be able to see Anared," Natal said, pulling Ashen along without even asking for his permission to do so,

As they walked in silence, towards the health building, Ashen suddenly realized something that he wasn't too sure he could comprehend but still, he couldn't stop himself from saying it, as he recalled the whole relationship he had seen between Natal and his best friend when they met in the examination,

"You like him don't you?" Ashen confidently asked feeling like he had a right to since Natal already knew his own secrets,

"Who?" Natal asked not befuddled in the slightest,

"Anared," Ashen replied with a cough, unable to stop how uncomfortable he began to feel from merely asking,

"Of course, I like him," was Natal's immediate response, heaving his shoulder higher while spotting a huge grin on his face at the same time,

"No...I...I mean you like him, like him," Ashen said, trying to explain what he meant without having to directly say it out loud,

"Yes Ashen...like I said. I like him...like him...like him a lot," Natal replied turning to look at Ashen with a smirk pulling his arm closer to his side as he continued pulling him towards the health building, without considering the stench coming from his new friend as all he could think about was Anared.

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