SCRATCH Vol.2

Nicky's breath fogged ahead of her, the condensation mingling with the wayward snowflakes that floated near her face. It was unseasonably cold for October, a fact made evident by the light dusting of snow London had received overnight. A thin layer of snowfall crunched underfoot, countless snowflakes crushing between her boots and the blue stone pavers that lined the walkways of Kingly Court with each step.

Even the sun seemed to struggle to rise that morning, protesting against the cold, which made her walk to work feel preternaturally chilly and somewhat otherworldly. She followed the street lamps, the glowing orbs of cool white light appearing to float in the air thanks to the black aluminum poles that blended into the dark urban landscape. Densely packed Georgian buildings lined either side of the street, almost giving Nicky the impression she was walking in a maze. Kingly Street was sparsely populated at this time of the morning, save for the odd storekeeper, chef, baker, or cleaner who appeared in a shopfront or alley here and there, inevitably rising for an early start.

Fiddling with her key fob, she turned down Ganton Street, making her way towards the back door of the restaurant to start her shift. Nicky had her head down, staring at the fob as she rounded the corner, when, suddenly, she felt herself crash into something... or someone.

"Hey!" A disgruntled male voice growled as she collided with them. Next, she felt a gloved hand tighten around her wrist, setting off alarm bells in her head and making her raise her other hand reflexively. Without looking up, she quickly etched a rune in the air, and a burst of blue light flashed ahead of her, repelling the stranger to the ground. Her hands trembled slightly, and she inhaled sharply before casting her eyes on the person she had bumped into.

"Ow!" The man whined, sprawled out on his back in the snow. He stood out against the white and grey ground, thanks to the burnt orange parka he was wearing. Behind him, a matching pair of black hard-shell suitcases covered in stickers rolled precariously across the pavement before wobbling and falling onto their sides. Tearing her eyes away from the luggage, Nicky turned her attention to the stranger and noticed the familiar round face with a thin mustache, poking out from inside a fur-brimmed hood.

"You again!?" Nicky barked, her voice cracking with surprise. "You said you'd leave me alone!" With her arm still raised, she watched the man struggle to his feet.

"And you said you didn't do magic!" He snapped at her in his gravelly voice, shaking his head in frustration."Ow. I landed right on my tailbone!" He added, gingerly rubbing his backside.

"Well..." Nicky's cheeks turned red with embarrassment as she lowered her hand. "You snuck up on me!"

"That wasn't my intention," he sighed, raising his hands in a sign of peace. "I assure you." He spun around looking for his suitcases and let out a little groan when he saw them lying in the snow. Clicking his tongue, he trudged towards them, set them back upright, grabbed the handles, one in each hand, and pulled them beside him, returning to face Nicky. "For someone who doesn't practice, you seemed to cast that protection rune with ease," he quipped. While his voice was straight, his almond eyes sparkled as if they were laughing at her. When he noticed Nicky tense up, his lips curled up into a cheeky smile. She had seen that smile a handful of times before. It was one that she, despite its disarming nature, found both agreeable yet irksome.

"I cast one spell..." Nicky rolled her eyes and shook her head. "What are you doing back in London, Wong? Everyone from The Blip has returned. You should have plenty of witches and wizards to teach at Tibetan Hogwarts, now." She had almost lost count of the times she had seen Wong in London, the sorcerer scouring the city for talent to take back to Kamar-Taj after the Blip had wiped out a large portion of its students. Once he had cottoned on that Nicky had spell-casting potential, which he did in a matter of pure happenstance, he had made regular cameos in her life over the past couple of years.