57 Zessia

"What's got you so down sis???" Grace asked appearing out of nowhere.

"What the??..." I said totally surprised by her sudden appearance.

"When did you... Where did you??..." Jay said also surprised by her sudden appearance looking around.

"I'm sure you guys know I'm a pretty sneaky person....." she said with a smile. "Anyways what's up with Helen???... what's got her so upset???.." she asked us.

"She's just abit sad that you both are gonna outlive us...." Jay said quietly.

"Ohhh..." Grace replied her demeanour instantly changing, "Hey sis cheer up....." she said sitting next to Helen giving her a hug.

"Yeah...." she said looking up to us.

"That's the spirit! Besides I'm sure we can bring them back with some necromancy anyways." Helen said with a laugh.

"Ummm don't we get a say in that??" Jay replied to her.

"Why do you care? You'd be dead anyways." Grace carried on laughing.

"Yeah but I don't want to be a rotting corpse bound to the commands." he replied.

Helen began to giggle a little, "She was only joking..." Helen said quietly.

"Or am I?" Grace said with a smirk.

"Necromancy????... magic that deals with corpses and undead???" I asked.

"Yup it is, practicing necromancy is band in all states except Zessia though." Helen said.

"Yup Zessia is a truly horrifying place." Grace said.

"How comes??..." I asked.

"Wow you must have been extremely secluded not knowing what goes on in Zessia...." Helen said.

"So in Zessiah the rich and powerful thrive extorting the poor...." Jay said.

"Yup.....they extort the desperate for everything they have even their life." Helen added.

"So they become a slave???..." I asked.

"Far far worse..... Even leaving has a toll so the poor can't even afford to leave..." Grace said.

"Yup and when you can't pay back your loan..... Then you're forced to give the life of you or your family's, and even in death you don't escape your debt." Jay said.

"Yup they will resurrect you into a husk of your former self forcing you to abide to their commands till their debt is paid.... but your debt will never be fully repaid....." Grace said.

"How can that even be legal??" I gasped at the horrific story.

"That's just the way the state is run sadly...." Helen said.

"And because of that Zessiah is the most profitable and productive of all the states." Jay said.

"My God I thought the fighting pits was the only bad place...." I said.

"It is true Zessia is run like that.... but on exactly how the school is ran is a well-kept secret..." Helen said.

"We must have been the lucky one...." I said wondering what would have happened if I was chosen to go somewhere else.....

"You could see it like that...." Helen said with a smile.

"I wonder where Daisy is..... She's taking her time...." Jay said looking around noticing most students have now returned.

"Lets look for her! She went to the healers hut." Helen said.

"Ohhh I'll ask S'ffa for directions." I said turning around to see S'ffa dancing and playing with younglings. "S'ffa???...." I asked

"Yes Emilia" she said leaving the children and walking to me.

"Could you show us where the healers hut is???.." I asked.

"Sure I'll show you the way." She replied with a smile, turning around saying something to the young Sporeans making them gather all the seaweed and began walking off with it. "Lets go!" she said climbing up to my shoulder. "That way." she said pointing at the direction towards where we first arrived.

"Let's go guys." I said standing up stretching and following the direction S'ffa pointed.

"Sure." They all replied also standing up.

"So I guess she's healing Sporean?... I'm guessing since she went to the healers hut....." I asked

"Probably.." Jay replied.

"Hmmm maybe... but we don't get many injuries often maybe the few slips and falls...." S'ffa replied.

"Ohhh.... I wonder what's taking her so long then." I wondered.

"It's that larger hut in the back." She said pointing at a larger building in the background after walking for a good 5 minutes.

"No way did she see a sea dragon..... Dragons are extinct and sea dragons especially don't dwell underground.." I heard Grace said quietly discussing with Jay and Helen causing me to eavesdrop.

"Yeah but she has no reason to lie....." Helen said quietly

"That is true..... And what she described did sound like a dragon....." Jay said.

"She has lied to us before though....." Grace said.

"She has?.." Jay asked sounding very shocked.

"Don't tell anyone else, but did you know..... She's from Consecratus..." Grace said quietly.

"I told you not to tell anyone!" Helen said.

"No way! Really?" Jay replied acting like he didn't know.

"Yup! The Wand told me back when she let me hold it." Helen explained.

"Yup..... That would explain why she knows Paul and her story knowing him didn't add up.... but I don't understand why she would lie to us about being from here...." Grace pondered.

"I'm sure she didn't know..... How much of a big deal it is.." Jay replied.

"Nope.... if she didn't know she would have said it from the beginning... I think she's hiding something..." Grace said.

"Nah she seems honest and nice enough...." Jay gave his opinion.

"Yeah she seems very nice and honest Grace." Helen agreed with Jay.

"Maybe... but somethings dodgy....." Grace added.

"You're just overly cautious...." Helen said.

"Did she not tell you?... she's from Consecratus??" Helen asked.

"Nope... she hasn't mentioned it to me....." Jay replied

"That's odd you three seem super close...." She replied.

"See even more of a reason to be cautious...." Grace added.

Overhearing their debate about me filled with anxiety, 'how should I respond?.... since they know the truth now do I just come out clean???.....and seriously?.. The wand told her..... Is it alive or something....'

Arriving at the larger hut it seemed to lack any sort of activity... "Hmmmm maybe she's not here...." I said to the group.

"Let's ask someone inside." S'ffa said pointing at the doors.

"Okay!" I said placing her at the front of the door.

"So guys... looks like Daisy isn't here...." I said turning around to them.

"Hmmmm maybe she went off doing something else..." Helen said looking around for activity.

"Yeah S'ffa said she will go inside and ask." I replied.

"So what were you guys talking about on the way here?.." I asked.

"Um what?... Ohhh just the dragon incident..." Grace replied caught off guard by my question.

"Yeah... It was a little dark... but I'm convinced it's a dragon..... Because S'ffa said so." I replied.

"I'm sure you're right...." Jay replied.

"I know where she is." S'ffa said exiting the building climbing onto my hand.

"Ohh cool where is she?.." Helen asked.

"She's just at another cavern gathering wood." S'ffa replied.

"Wood?.." Helen asked.

"Yah.... we have an underground forest..." S'ffa answered her.

"Wait how?..." Helen asked.

"Follow us." S'ffa said placing her on my shoulders following the direction of her pointed finger.