A Bored Lich

Author's note: With the conclusion of the academy arc, I need time to prepare for the next part of the story (not to mention several of my classes are handing out tests). In the meantime, there will be some in-between content where I'll take the chance to practice/try several writing tricks. These chapters won't contain "vital" story elements but they will go more in depth to the characters and setting than usual. Also, I think I've gotten the hang of my schedule so I'm going to upload once a day on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. This better distributes the content, gives me a boost in AllFull's algorithms (hopefully), and gives me more time to work on chapters. Now back to the story...

"Go off into the world, you deserve it," Menla said as she shoved Olpi into a carriage seat. "You've been cooped up in this place for decades. You've more than done your part, and done it well. Thank you for your service. Goodbye."

Olpi sighed, fiddling absently with the carriage reins. Of her countless fantasies, birthed by staring out the academy's pristine crystal windows, she never would have imagined that the academy doors could slam so loud and so suddenly behind her.

The only thing left was the world ahead of her; not her friends who had remained in the academy, not the daily routine of feeding, assisting, and catering to the students, nor even the motionless Watchmen.

The carriage's draft horses breathed out white huffs of air as they trudged through the snow. They didn't even question where they went. They just did it, without a care in the world. 'What am I supposed to do now?' Olpi thought. 'Find some noble and beg to serve him? I don't want to serve anyone, not anymore. If not that, then what?' She jumped as a knock sounded out. She turned and opened the carriage window.

Frey cursed, wincing away from the winter wind that crept in the insulated cabin. "Sorry, did I scare you?"

"A little," Olpi chuckled out of awkwardness. 'I think his name was Frey, right?'

Frey gestured to a cluster of trees just off the path. "Can you make a stop over there?"

"Another bathroom break?" Olpi asked.

Frey shook his head. "No, nothing like that."

Olpi cocked her head to the side. "It's still a few hours until dark."

"Not that either."

Olpi paused and took out a map that Doevm had lent her. "I don't mean to question but what could we do over there? There's no towns for miles, according to this map. The closest thing is a ruined mansion, but that's not for an entire day."

Frey sighed. "We're all bored of doing nothing all day. Aren't you?"

"Bored?" Olpi asked. 'What does that even mean?'

Elero, who noticed her pause, gasped: "You're really not bored, are you?"

Olpi shrugged. "Not really but if you want me to stop the carriage, I'll stop."

Elero sighed: "You're exactly like Doevm." She gestured to Cerlius, who looked up from his quiet contemplation.

"I am patient," he explained. "But not too patient to pass up a chance at sparring."

Practice; Olpi's shoulders tensed at the mere mention of it, remembering the blood and sweat she and others had shed over spells to please the greedy instructors with. She forced herself to relax. The Reach was far out of sight, and over time she hoped it would be far from her mind. As she was ordered to, she directed the horses over to a small ditch and opened the door for Cerlius's group.

They thanked her as they emerged before finding places inside the foliage to stretch and warm up. Olpi tied up the horses then...then what? She looked back at the driver's seat but turned away, rubbing her aching back. Eyeing a patch of snow atop the carriage, she reached for a rag in her spatial ring. She always had one. She found nothing because her rags belonged to the academy.

"What are you just standing there for?" Thomas asked. "We're going to be here for a while so might as well make yourself comfortable."

Olpi sighed. "Right, I should make myself comfortable."

She found a log to sit on. Objective complete. "I'll just sit here," she said.

"Alright," Thomas nodded as he continued to stretch his arms out.

Olpi shifted in her seat. The long was cold so she stood up, brushed some snow off, and sat back down. Looking up, she estimated several hours before the sun would set. Each hour spent sparring was another hour on the road.

She coughed, then cleared her throat. 'I wonder when the leaves are going to grow back,' she thought, staring aimlessly at the leafless trees around them. 'I wonder when I can get back to driving.'

"Do you want me to clear the area of snow for you guys?" Olpi asked after a minute, feeling like she should at least do something.

"No, it's better to have obstacles," Elero said. She walked away from the three boys and started her own, separate warm up routine.

"I see," Olpi sighed. "Well, then have fun I guess. I'll watch, right here on this log. Yup." She drummed her fingers along the bark, and instinctually clawed dirty sap away with her fingernails. 'Should I just sleep?'

"Stances!" Thomas yelled out, startling Olpi. His, Frey's, and Cerlius's feet made trails through the snow as they couched into stances, mirroring one another. "One!" Their training spears shot forth with synchronous precision. "Two!" They recoiled, keeping their elbows near their center. "One!" With each rapid set of strikes, it was as if the snowfall froze around them.

"Damn it!" Elero's curse drew Olpi's attention. The noble girl shot out of a bush like a gopher out of its hole and brushed broken branches and snow off of herself. "This time I'll get it right," she muttered as she crouched into a stance.

'I guess Elero has her own routine, even if she's struggling with it,' Olpi thought. 'Should I do something as well?'