Chapter Twenty-Three: Senior Trip | Part 6
The Legionnaire ravens descended from the rafters and each landed on a twin’s shoulder, cups of green liquid held in their beaks. Rhea shrieked.
Benn gritted his teeth. “We’re not idiots, you know. We don’t need you babysitting us to drink a potion that could save our lives.”
The ravens exchanged a pointed look. Then, they tilted their heads back and let the green liquid run into their beaks.
Already, cries of disgust erupted around them. The coughing and whining from their fellow classmates nearly drowned out the birds’ agitated cawing as they left the twins’ shoulders, gnashing their beaks.
“Guess we’d better get this over with,” Thirtyx muttered. He, Benn, and Rhea clinked their cups against each other before downing their contents as one.
“Oh, Twins, that wasn’t pleasant,” Benn moaned after a massive swallow. Rhea clung to Thirtyx’s arm with one hand while covering her mouth with the other. Thirtyx smacked his lips a couple of times, waiting for the putrid aftertaste, but it never came.
In fact, he found the flavor… vaguely nice? “I didn’t think it was that bad.”
The glares from his friends elicited a nervous chuckle. “Then again, my taste buds don’t serve much of a purpose, so I guess they don’t work quite the same way.”
“Whatever,” Rhea groaned. “The hard part is over. Now we get to enjoy three days of mountains, and we don’t have to think about that disgusting sludge until it’s time to come back.”
It had left a pleasant tingle on Thirtyx’s tongue. Part of him was already looking forward to another taste.
The broad doors crashed against the concrete walls, sending vibrations through the air and floor. Thirtyx chuckled at the sensation. He stared into the abject blackness of the portal—somehow thick without dimension and heavy without mass. Being there, around everyone else’s excitement, was making him feel excited again too. His issues with Azirenne could wait. He was going off-world for the first time in his life, and he could spend at least a few bars soaking it in.
Professor C entered the portal first, followed by one of the ravens. Professor Lessel was organizing a loose throng around the doors. The thrill was making Thirtyx fidgety, so he started to sway. Swaying felt rather nice.
“You alright there?” Benn asked, eyebrow raised in amusement.
“Yeah, just excited.” Talking also felt nice. In fact, all of him was starting to feel nice. Was it the act of leaving all of his stress behind at Wydewood, or anticipation for this new experience, or perhaps just the delectable energy of his classmates? He closed his eyes and embraced the rare feeling of joy.
“Hey, Thirtyx, look alive!” Rhea grabbed his arm, and his eyes slid open. A delightful buzz reverberated through his skin where Rhea’s fingers rested, and without thinking, he giggled.
But then, she pulled him forward. The crowd had moved several paces, but he’d only had his eyes closed a moment—hadn’t he? Somehow, Rhea’s hand on his arm made it impossible to tell. And if he focused instead on the tingly ripples spreading from her fingertips, he couldn’t concentrate on what Benn was saying.
Wait, was Benn asking him something?
Benn’s words and Rhea’s touch and their forward movement collided in his mind and bounced off each other like balls in a schoolyard. But the confusion didn’t frustrate him. It felt funny—funny enough that he chuckled again. Why weren’t his friends laughing with him?
Benn grabbed Thirtyx’s shoulders and spun him so that they were eye to eye. “Thirtyx. Hey, are you feeling okay? You’re starting to worry us.”
“I feel fantastic.” His mouth felt slightly off—like it had in the trance, but far more enjoyable. He couldn’t be in another trance, could he? Trances weren’t this fun.
Nothing was this fun, but he was inclined to ignore that for now. Rhea and Benn’s concerned looks made that more difficult. “Guys, stop it. I’m great! I feel like I could fly.”
Could he fly? He jumped, and while he nearly lost his balance on the landing, the sensation in his stomach nearly blinded him with pleasure. Both Benn and Rhea grabbed his arms to stabilize him, and he nearly collapsed in a fit of laughter.
“No, something isn’t right,” Rhea said. “Thirtyx, come here. Let’s sit down for a fraction.”
