EXTERIOR - The Wilds, a short distance away from the edge of Triangle Valley. The winds sweep the grass and the trees. Horned rabbits bounce a short distance away, and grazing gazelles look on from afar.

  PRESENT - THE BOY (In usual threadbare clothes, currently ying sprawled out on the grass with a bck eye and bloody nose, and maybe some broken bones. Who can say.) MOUSE (As emerald / gold-dressed as ever. Cur0rently staring off into the horizon with an unearned smugness and wistfulness.)

  TIME - Eeeeeehhhh early-mid evening, sun's getting down there.

  EVENTUALLY, after far longer than he deserved, his smugness started to fall away, just a little, and his shoulders started to droop.

  "I... I suppose you're going to tell the girl about this, aren't you?" He asked.

  "yes. she told me to tell her about any agreement viotions."

  "...Hm." Mouse's gaze fell toward the grass, his tongue gliding along his teeth. "She's totally gonna beat the sh#t out of me for this."

  "i would not be surprised."

  "Especially since I injured you. She'll... Whoooo, boy, that was... That was not wise." He nodded to himself, a frightful look falling upon his face, as some degree of sanity graces his mind for the first time in a long time. "It's impossible to run, and I can't just KILL you, either. That's SUPER death for sure."

  "that is likely the case already."

  "Oh. That's not good."

  "i can see how you would think that."

  "Very not good, indeed."

  "i concur."

  "Hmm..." Mouse squinted, and his tongue ran over his teeth, though his gaze remained fixed on the horizon.

  The boy y silently on the grass.

  "Is there anything I could do to get you *not* tell the girl about this?"

  "i do not think so. i was instructed to tell her everything."

  "Hmmm... Yes, there's your unusual, undying obedience..." Mouse tapped his foot... And stopped. "What if I were to bribe you?"

  "oh." The boy's brow perked up slightly. "i have never been bribed before."

  "Would you like to be?"

  "hmmm-yes." The boy didn't have to think for long.

  "Wonderful!" Mouse spun around on his heels with a smile on his face.

  He stepped towards the boy, and reached into a practically invisible breast pocket.

  "what am i being bribed with?" The boy eagerly asked.

  "Knowledge, and understanding." There was a distinct flourish to his words and a spring in his step.

  "oooooh. woaaah." Stated the boy.

  "What I have here is a very exclusive offer. Frankly, you should feel very thankful that an otherwise insignificant creature like you has the privilege of knowing me." Mouse removed his hand from his pocket and pulled out, between his pointer and middle finger, a single strip of pearl-white parchment. With a flick of the wrist, he released it, and it fluttered down towards the boy's ying body. It was a cool effect, but he to maintain concentration on his own wind magic to stop the thing from getting blown away by the Winds... Well worth it.

  "what is it?" The boy's wide-eyed stare was locked on the bnk white strip.

  "Nothing less than full Admission into The Academy." Mouse expined, his smug overtones back in full force.

  "how."

  "I would be more pleased if you reacted with more jubition."

  "woooow. whaaaat." The paper continued to flutter down towards him.

  "Better." Mouse nods. "AT ANY RATE! Your future at the academy will be guaranteed. You will have full access to all of the courses and other privileges afforded to students, (all due to the endless generosity of our fair prince,) INCLUDING full, no-cost transportation by rail!"

  The white strip nded on the boy's face, and he managed to reach up and grab hold of it. "... there is nothing on this."

  "Yes, well, the actual process is wildly complicated. I'll have to call in some favors, speak with people who know people, make some moves to set up a false identity, get that all wrapped up in the system and grease the right palms to prevent certain questions from being raised... It's all very boring." Mouse shrugged. "I just wanted to throw something."

  "okay."

  "Yes, quite. So, with this, I believe we have a deal? You wont speak a word of this to the girl?"

  "no. i will not. i am being bribed."

  "Wonderful!" Mouse cpped his hands together. "Well, with that, I believe our time together has come to a close, and I have much, much work to do. I'm affarid I will have to bid you farewell, goodbye, good graces, etcetera and all."

  With those final words, Mouse turned, billowed his cloak, and swiftly strutted back toward Triangle Valley, not taking even a moment to inspect the boy's wounds or heal him. He was fully capable of doing so, he just didn't want to.

  . . .

  . . .

  "how am i going to get back?" The boy wondered aloud.