Chase and Neveah said their awkward goodbye, and parted ways.
He was making his way downstairs, and when he thought things couldn't possibly get any worse... Well they got worse.
About ten steps in front of him, The Ivory Princess was letting out a tired yet graceful yawn.
Chase stood frozen in fear, and honestly kind of wanted her to stab him through the shoulder again.
But sadly Poppy had no murderous intentions today, or at least not yet.
She had returned to humming some unfamiliar song, while swinging the broom in her left hand to the rhythm until she spotted him.
Her eyes widened, and a true look of terror appeared on her normally unphased face.
"You did not..."
Chase gave her a nervous smile, and shrugged his dust covered shoulders.
"Sorry?"
"No you did not!"
She dropped the broom, and palmed her face with both of her hands.
"Do you know how much of a pain it is to clean up after a dust attack?!"
She was practically screaming now, her voice echoing through the empty stairwell of the academy.
Chase put his hands up in defense, which probably caused more harm then good, because a wave of dust flew through the air.
"Wait! Before you try to kill me, It was all Neveah's fault!"
He yelped out frantically.
"Neveah did this?"
Poppy said, looking as if confusion had taken anger's place.
"Well, I admit I was trying to steal the answers to the test- But then Neveah came into the room with a sword, and she was followed by a horse of killer dust bunnies..."
Chase was breathing heavily, after talking at such a swift pace.
Then Poppy must have realized how much dust was truly in his uniform, because she let out a muffled sneeze.
He would have made a snarky remark on how it was adorable when the ice princess sneezed, but he figured that would have ended in a death sentence, so he just kept his mouth shut.
She looked terribly distraught now, and just shook her head. Then she just turned around without saying a single word.
"Are you not taking the broom?"
He asked, with a raised eyebrow.
"It's not even mine..."
She mumbled, sounding like all of this had actually just ruined her day.
Chase felt overly envious of her situation, considering he had basically just fought a dragon.
Anyway, students had started to exit their rooms and do whatever was part of the morning routines, which of course meant that he was being stared at by plenty of people.
Eventually he reached the ancient wooden door underneath the stairs, where the secret entrance of Leander's living quarters resided.
He walked up to the door, padded himself down as best he could, then gave it a good hard knock.
Obviously he had forgotten that he would enter the room, before his fist landed. Meaning that he practically sent himself flying directly into the ground.
"Do you learn nothing, boy?"
The ancient wisdom-filled voice called out from the other side of his desk.
Chase would have said something arrogant, but probably would have been struck down by the mighty headmaster's sacred ability that many students had made up rumors about.
He quickly pushed himself off of the ground, and stood tall to meet the headmaster's gaze.
Leander looked his dust-covered uniform up and down, but decided it was best to not even bother asking.
"Anyway, I was just curious about your opinion on something."
'Are you kidding me...?'
He thought.
There was no way in hell, that he went through all of whatever "that" was to give his opinion on something.
"And that is?"
He asked, feeling a vein about to burst above his eyebrow.
"The Phoenix team has not lost a game since you joined, and I am sure you of all people know what you have to face at the end of the week..."
He said, bringing Chase a bit of curiosity.
"Do you think you can beat them?"
The old coot asked, a strange look of childish excitement flickered in his one visible eye.
"I think that we will do our best, but I don't know enough about the sport to give you that answer."
The man's expression grew a little saddened, and he lowered his gaze for a moment before speaking again.
"I ask that you do not perform to the best of your abilities."
Chase was caught quite off guard by the sudden request of the headmaster.
"Excuse me?"
Leander nodded, and took a deep breath before telling him any reasoning.
"We can afford to lose one game. In fact, I want it to be this game... If all plays out well, then we will be put on the opposite side of the playoff bracket as both Orion and Frostfang academy..."
Chase raised an eyebrow, and then it all clicked.
"You want us to face one of them in the championship?"
He asked, even more curiosity began to show within his tone.
"Indeed, preferably Frostfang... Because, then you can go all out."
Before he could ask anymore, Leander spoke up again.
"And that would be the moment that sparks the inevitable war with the kingdom that destroyed your home."
Chase's eyes widened, and for a split second he had the strange thought that Leander had harbored his own grudge for the destruction of Willowmere.
"Can I ask you a question then?"
He asked the headmaster. A single question, had been gnawing at his very being for quite a while now.
Leander nodded slowly.
"If you are from the house of Orion, then how come you are the headmaster of Phoenix and not Orion Academy?"
Leander shut his eyes, and then a sense of dread filled Chase's body like a cup that was about to overflow.
And then he found himself standing next to the Social Society classroom, where Professor Luke was kneeling on the ground next to a pile of cigarettes weeping like a child.