The party continued, everyone talking to the mages and enjoying the festivities.
“You need to stop messing with these people” Avery started while watching Valery stuffed her face with tongue-dyeing muffins and holding a pink one in her hand.
Valery looked up at her from her plate with a questioning look, “what?” she blurted out with a full mouth, some crumbs spilling out.
“Val you’re going to get yourself killed, especially with talking back to mages!” Avery fumed.
Valery rolled her eyes and continued eating her muffins, “VALERY!” she yelled.
People near them, both students and mages, turned their heads at the sound of her voice.
Valery, still unbothered, continued to gulp down her snacks.
After a while of silence and no sign of a fuss, the onlookers turned back to their conversations.
Feeling frustrated with Valery turning a deaf ear to her words, Avery walked off brimming with anger.
Valery shrugged and continued to eat, moving on to fill her plate with a piece of Flavor-Surprise Cake.
“Do you ever stop eating? You’re worse than a pig. Even they have poverty class down to a tea” said a male voice, she turned around in the direction where it came from.
But no one was near or even looking at her.
Feeling uncomfortable and leered at, snacks in one hand, she took her bear in the other and went to a more crowded buffet table.
Meanwhile…
Avery had trekked into the royal garden’s hedge maze, she breathed out a heavy sigh, purging out a little of her anger, and continued to walk deeper into the maze.
She breathed in the calmness surrounding her, finally hearing the sounds of birds chirping and the wind blowing.Then sighed out all the tension she felt, her shoulders and expression seeming to relax at this.
She kept walking deeper into the maze, finding the natural sounds calming and melodic to her ears, a natural kind of ASMR.
Her hair fluttered whenever the wind whisked by, she reached for the hedges, closed her eyes and dragged her hand along enjoying the crispy sounds made as she sauntered past relying on her hand as her guide as if she was sightless.
She felt a tingling sensation begin at the crown of her head then slowly spread out through the rest of her body, as if electric jolts of therapeutic relief were injected into her nervous system.
The sounds around her suddenly also starting to be the focus of her ears.
“Do…for…the plan…”
Her eyes snapped open in haste and she stiffened in place.
On guard and quietly she followed invisible audio-trails of the voices.
“Please im…..its impossible to do that”
The words became clearer and easier to hear as she got closer.
“Watch how you speak to me!” a man’s voice said murderously in fury.
Avery let out a small silent gasp, looking ahead there was a left turn in the hedge corridor and that is where the voice came from.
She creeped closer, her breath stuck in her throat and heart beating fast.
“I want it all done! Do you intend to tell me you fear the royals…MORE THEN ME?!” the commanding voice questioned.
“N-no, no sir…of course not” answered a meek sounding woman’s voice in fear, both Avery and her knowing that whatever her answer, it would be death however the only difference to both answers is how near the penalty would be given.
“Good now-”
‘CRUNCH’
All 3 paused, the conversers looked at the direction of the gap and Avery looked down at her feet, heart pounding as she saw the leaves under her foot.
“Who’s there?!” the man hollered, Avery froze, fear making her mind go blank.
Knowing this world is one of magic, whomever she overheard would likely not be so forgiving given how he spoke to the woman.
Just as she began to see her life flash before her eyes.
A red crow flew past her and landed in front of the path of the turn.
It stepped on some leaves making the same crunch sound and cawwing a few times fully seeing the two who were talking and Avery just watching it with bated breath.
The foot steps paused.
“Just a lousy crow” the man groaned
“A red one, aren’t those said to be a sign of an upcoming death?” the woman asked, her voice uneaven in worry.
“Relax, the only way you’ll get cursed is if you idiotically touch one or pester them, or be the unlucky soul who the bird decides to curse willingly” the man turned around and started walking once more.
“I hope the next time i see you the job will be complete. Dont mess this up you worthless walking terminal flea” he said, his steps getting feint in the sight of Avery’s ears as he walked to another exit of the place they were in the maze.
The girl soon did the same.
Avery waited what felt like 10 minutes before daring to move, the crow had inched closer to her.
She looked at it and uttered out a quick “thank you” before walking off, heading to where she entered the maze, the bird stared at the small of her back, its head moving side to side just so each eye can have a turn to stare.
Soon as she disappeared from its vision did it finally fly away.
Avery made it out of the maze and back to the noisy party.
She stood at the entrance still panicked, her heart racing fast.
After a few gulps of air, she finally began to calm herself.
Then went on her way to find Valery, wanting to blend into the crowd and avoid the suspicion of her absence to avoid questions being asked.
Regardless of not being caught, she didn’t want to be the main target of whomever she heard….that’s if she already isnt.
To be continued…