The Magician Of Vennat

Chapter 18

They were stopped a few canals away from One Ear's estate. There were just too many boats. They clogged the waterways, big behemoths crowded with brightly dressed people. The festival was already in full swing.

Alabaster and Amanda docked the boat and stepped onto the busy pier. Alabaster licked his lips nervously and wrung his hands. They looked like the thin clean hands of a nobleman with a taste for music. He swallowed. He hoped the disguise would hold.

"Stop fretting already," Amanda said. "I told you they're top of the line, didn't I?"

Alabaster scratched at his itchy skin. There were too many people. What if one of them realized that they weren't supposed to be here?

"Chill, okay?" Amanda said. She was disguised as a forty year old woman with a rich red gown and glistening auburn hair. She looked very realistic. Alabaster told himself that if she did, then he did, and everything was going to be fine. However, there were still flutters in his stomach as they approached the mansion.

It was brightly decorated for the occasion with gay banners and lanterns that would be lit at night. There were many boats already docked before it, and a few people were moving in and out of the door.

"You're really just going to walk right in?" Alabaster said. He was having second thoughts about this. He was having third thoughts about this.

"I've only told you that like five thousand times by now," Amanda snapped. "I know how this works, okay? I've done it before. All you need to do is stand outside and look pretty."

"And keep watch," Alabaster added.

Amanda gritted her teeth. That was what she had meant. She hadn't actually wanted him to just look pretty.

"All right," she said, controlling her temper. "I'm going in. So stay chill and whatever you do, don't freak."

Alabaster swallowed. He felt freaked already. "Uh, sure," she said.

She shook her head and walked up to the house. Alabaster was sure one of the bystanders would call her out, sure that a doorman would appear suddenly with a list in his hand, sure that One Ear would just happen to stride out and ask her who the heck she was. None of that happened; she went right inside without a hitch.

He licked his lips and waited. And waited. Boats passed. People passed. Men and women chatted about very amusing and interesting things. Or at least, Alabaster assumed there were very amusing and interesting by the way people either were laughing or looking deep in thought.

He seemed to be the only lone person on the entire pier. This wasn't good. It made him conspicuous. He reached into his vest to see if there was a watch. There was. He checked it, tapped his foot, and did his best to put on an aggravated face.

"Waiting for someone?"

Alabaster started. It was a young man, early thirties, dressed in fine clothes and a top hat. He was walking towards him with a thin muscular hound at the end of a leather leash.

Alabaster finally found his voice. "Uh, yes," he said with what he hoped was a snobbish accent. "And she's quite late, quite late." He checked the watch again for good measure.

The man laughed. "That's women for you. Always standing a man up."

"Oh," Alabaster said, "she'll come round. She'll come round. Always does."

The man chuckled. "Well, best of luck to you sir. And a very happy festival."

"Indeed!" Alabaster said. "And to you too."

The man continued down the sidewalk and Alabaster let out a long deep breath. That hadn't gone badly at all. He'd done real well. Amanda would've been proud of him.

BOOM! The world shook. Alabaster spun quickly to One Ear's mansion, fear blossoming in his chest. A chunk of wall was spreading out into the air. Flames flickered around the edges.

A woman dressed in dark red cloth left from the building, skirts billowing up from the wind. Amanda's eyes caught his and they said one thing: run.

Alabaster didn't need to be told twice. He turned tail and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Amanda caught up about three seconds later. He was not surprised that she could run faster than he did.

"What happened?" he asked.

A heavy voice boomed. "Stop, thieves, and your lives will be spared!"

A pillar of fire sprung up directly before them. Amanda quickly seized him by the wrist and pulled him between two houses.

"Remember that magician that I stole Throne from?" Amanda said.

Dread descended upon Alabaster. "You mean the one you never wanted to meet again?"

"Well, I met him," she said.

"Crap."

More fire sprang up before them. This time Alabaster didn't need to be pulled to the side. The two of them dived to the left as one, burst out into the front yards of more houses and continued down the pier.

"Do you think we'll be able to reach the boat in time?" Alabaster asked.

"We have to," Amanda said. "Or we're dead ducks."

Alabaster put on another burst of speed, legs burning like they had a pillar of fire shooting up them.

Amanda looked behind and yelped. "Holy mother of ice cream soda!"

Alabaster took that to mean that he really didn't want to look behind.

There was a whistling sound. Alabaster instinctively ducked and an axe flew over his head.

"Crap!" he yelled.

"Use your invisibility ring!" Amanda yelled.

"What?"

"Your invisibility ring!" she repeated. "No one's watching the house anymore," she said excitedly. "They're all focused on us. If you disappear, they'll still chase me, and you can go back and swipe the sword. It's on the second story."

"But what about you?" Alabaster asked as they darted around another pillar of hot flames.

"I can take care of myself, dope-head! Go get what we came for."

Alabaster bit his lip and slipped the ring on. A wave of wind hit him from behind toppling him head over heels. His head hit the sidewalk hard and he lay there dazed as boots and brightly colored robes tramped quickly past. Then the pier was silent save the cries of people in the distance and faint explosions that were becoming even fainter.

Alabaster wasn't quite sure what he was doing here. He stood up and a wave of dizziness sent him crashing into the nearest building, where he hit his head again. Vision blanked out for a few seconds before returning fuzzier than it had been before.

Quick motion behind him made him turn and he saw a blur of black rush past. His head swum and he leaned back against the building to catch his breath.

He needed to lay down. Standing was too much effort. There were some bushes just nearby. He staggered towards them, using the wall as a support. Their green forms pulsed with the flow of his blood. In and out, back and forth. He walked into one and stopped, prickly twigs scratching his skin.

He slowly began to lower himself, lost control about halfway, and fell into the dirt. He did not rise.