Arenya and Cartalis watched the rehearsal. Cartalis was not certain which of the two of them was more exhausted.
The sword would be ready in two weeks’ time, according to Cartalis’ schedule. It accounted for unexpected mishaps, testing, Arenya’s art designs on the blade in accordance with Benya’s requests, and a post-straightening reforge. Cartalis’ parents said they would not need the money for several months, so even if something went disastrously wrong and forced them to start over, their schedule was excellent. Even so, Arenya’s desire to move quickly was strong enough that Cartalis scheduled out a brisk pace, but she nonetheless assured Arenya that a break of a day or two was well within reason.
Within reason and necessary, both to accomplish their other requirements and to give their bodies and minds time to recover. Even as Benya’s sword loomed over their heads, Zelzad, Drav, and Ya’el’s concert was planned for a month and a half out. They’d put instrumentation to Arenya’s song and practiced some of their lines, and were eager to see what Arenya thought of it. Arenya’d wanted to continue to working on the blade after finishing imbuing the sixteenth channel, but Cartalis - and even Zander! - had insisted she get to her dorm room and get a good night’s sleep. Thankfully, Arenya saw reason and acquiesced without too much of a fuss.
The instant Cartalis hit her own pillow she was fast asleep, and barely awoke in time for a quick breakfast before her first class. She’d barely managed to stay awake through her lectures, let alone take notes. Even if she’d been awake and alert, her hands ached from all the precise additions of mana dust and holding of small beakers and other measurement devices. Her vision swam as well, an unfortunate consequence of staring at so many tiny labels and minute bits of crystal dust. At least her hands hadn’t bled, she supposed. She hadn’t seen him, but the word had gone around that Zander had hurt his hands in a fistfight. She hoped that this was the result of other students’ rumormongering rather than Zander.
Cartalis curled up on the bench as the band proceeded with their routine. She knew she should be paying closer attention, but she was so tired that even The Fiery One was too fast asleep to care much about anything other than some rest.
Arenya, for her part, at least attempted to watch them, but she sat in a way that was a hair’s breadth from lying down, and occasionally closed her eyes for a bit too long to be just sinking into deep thought.
Ya’el said something. Or did she yell it? Cartalis could not be certain. She didn’t stir as Arenya murmured something in response.
“Uhh, hello?”
Cartalis didn’t move, but she awoke herself enough to hear Arenya’s response. “Sorry, what was that?”
"I asked if you liked how we were performing your song. The one that you wrote the lyrics for. The one we just. Did.
“Oh. I was a bit tired and wasn’t paying much attention, sorry.”
Perhaps “attempt to watch them” was too strong an expression.
“Listen.” That was Zelzad. “Are you two all right? We know you worked yourselves hard yesterday, but you were almost done when we left. Cartalis, you said it’d only take another hour or two, so it wasn’t that late.”
Finally, Cartalis uncurled herself and opened her eyes. The world seemed strangely bright after spending so long with her eyes closed. “It did indeed not take terribly much longer,” she said, “but it is exhausting work to make such precise measurements. A typical job of that nature would be done over several days, to avoid wrist and eye strain.”
“Eight, you said, right?”
Damned Arenya. Always proferring the information Cartalis hoped would stay secret. Now the three others would panic and fawn over the two of them like they were stray kittens.
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“You did eight days worth of work in one day?” Ya’el shook her head slowly. “Y’all need to chill before you work yourselves to death.”
“We are fine,” said Cartalis.
Drav sighed. “No, you aren’t. Arenya, you look like you’re on the verge of passing out. Cartalis, you did pass out. And Zander cut his fingers, even! You’re really acting super unhealthy right now.”
The Fiery One emerged from her slumber for the briefest of instants. “It is no less healthy than your incessant smoking, at the least.”
Zelzad winced, but Drav laughed. “Point taken. Maybe it’s a takes-one-to-know-one kind of thing. But either way, you two need to get back to your dorms.”
Cartalis looked down. At the bench, at her legs, at her feet… She felt a subtle ache in her legs as she stood.
“I’d rather stay.”
They all turned toward Arenya, who’d adopted Cartalis’ former curled-up position. “I think I’d rest better if I were around people,” she said. “I don’t really want to, you know, do much. But just being around others would help some. Like it did yesterday.”
Zelzad cast her an aside glance. “You sure?”
Arenya nodded. “I need rest. You’re right. But I don’t want to be alone. Just being here, hearing others talk, is good for me. Can I just stay here while you continue to practice?”
Zelzad shrugged. “You do you, I guess.”
“I, on the other hand, will return to my dorms. I suspect a soft bed is what I need right now.” Cartalis chose not to mention that she’d been sleeping in that same bed yesterday and it hadn’t helped yet. It’s not like everyone here was not already aware, regardless. “I shall see you all tomorrow,” she said as she walked towards the door.
“Cartalis, you look like you’re practically limping,” said Zelzad. Do you want me to walk you to your dorm?"
Cartalis shook her head. “I can handle myself. Good night to all present here. I shall see you all tomorrow.”
Ba’al Cedric’s remained crowded this early in the evening. Students returning from evening classes to grab dinner, or walking to nowhere as they flirted with their significant others. Most gave her a wide berth, thankfully. Unlike Arenya, she was finding the social contact to tire her more, not less. She did notice a handful of askew looks, however. The legendary Cartalis, tired? Not taking notes in class? Almost falling asleep? They said she never slept, only studied, and would break the leg of any who interrupted her with nothing more than an angry look. She couldn’t help but laugh to herself at the absurdity of the image, not caring that she must look half a step from pure insanity at the moment.
After nearly losing her balance to a wet patch of sidewalk by the school’s fountain, Cartalis paused, looking at the gushing water, and found herself wondering if perhaps she should have taken the offer of a walk home after all. Anything more than a three meters away looked a bit blurry as well, it seemed. She stared at the water, thinking of the way it flowed. Like mana into the metal sample - both were fluids, she supposed, and both had no particular spatial property. Perhaps if she investigated mana in its liquid form, she could refine the process some. It was typical to use either mana in crushed crystals, or ambient mana in a gaseous form, but it could be stored as a liquid as well, albeit with some difficulty. Why was this done so rarely? Perhaps this was a question to ask Kazurist…
Her head hurt. For once in her life, she desperately wanted to not think about mana or research, at least for a bit. All she wanted now was to lie down and think about nothing.
But then why couldn’t she move? Why was she stuck, sitting here, staring at this fountain, when her dorm room was so close? When did she even start sitting? Last she could remember, she was standing. Why was she sitting on the ground instead of on the bench so close, at least? Was walking truly that difficult at this point? Was she really that tired? Maybe Cartalis was just lazy. Maybe the idea of putting in any kind of effort for anything at all right now was too much, even effort as simple as walking a handful of steps.
“You all right?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am. Thank you for your concern.”
It was ten seconds longer before Cartalis realized a student had actually approached her and asked if she needed something. Surely someone who had just started, who hadn’t heard the rumors. She turned to see the person walking away, but couldn’t tell who’d said it from the crowd. None looked like they were lost or unfamiliar, though.
Maybe someone thought they could get some added respect from their friends by being able to help out the Blond Ice Queen. Maybe her reputation was beginning to soften after a year and a half.
Maybe she just looked terribly confused or upset, staring at the fountain shock-still while sitting on the ground, so much so that even someone who knew her reputation was too taken aback to withhold an offer of assistance.
Could she really look that out of sorts?
Cartalis stood and nearly collapsed in the process, before turning her eyes toward Serpent Wing. Just a few more steps and she would be able to collapse into her bed, where none would bother her.
Just a few more steps.