Wizard of Jatte, Rowan Erlking [latest novels to read .TXT] 📗

eyes that made him nervous.

Everyone in Shoredge (or nearly so) gathered at the fair grounds on the last night it would be there. There was rumor that a firework show was going to be let off that evening. Theissen had come along with the rest of them strolling past booths full of games and challenges. Candy by the dozens sold by men and women in shining clothes weaved in and out every stall. Sellers of hot spicy sausages on sticks and gooey cheese covered meatballs and lamb braids shouted out, offering their portable snacks to buyers all around. Theissen picked up a sausage to eat while strolling past the cages of exotic animals, keeping a tight hold on his coin pouch and one eye on the kids running about.

The animal cages were arranged in a semi circle on the far end of the fairground, lit by smoldering firelights reflected with metal. It wasn’t just exotic animals in the cages either. There were a few demons in the mix with spells to keep them contained. Theissen stared at the monkeys for a full ten minutes before skipping the cage with three demon crows in it. The birds eyed him, speaking Jatten as he walked past.

“Look a him. He doesn’t even care we’re here.”

He didn’t want to care. Looking up close at the smelly knots that had nearly stalked him the same time as that gole was not something he liked. The fact that they could speak was even more unnerving.

He saw a strange creature in a cage that was labeled Pigmy Elephant. It was unlike any animal he had ever witnessed, and it made that odd noise he heard when he had passed the cages earlier that week. Its nose move like a snake and it looked like it had batwings on the side of its head. Its skin reminded him of that gole. But since it had no demon stink, Theissen accepted that this creature was a natural animal.

Rounding past the kirrels on display and taking a good look at the long necked hairy animals labeled Llama, Theissen found the end of the train where two lions paced in their cages. He stared at them for a moment then backed away.

“Terrifying, aren’t they?”

Theissen turned to look at who spoke. It was one of the women in a dress with the plummeting neckline. He averted his eyes back to the lions. “They look hungry.”

She laughed. Her voice was almost as musical as Lilissa’s. So similar in fact that Theissen took a peek to make sure she wasn’t Lilissa. This woman was about ten years older and considerably more rounded up top. He averted his eyes again.

“You seem preoccupied,” she said. He felt her reach up and pull his face back down towards hers. “How are you liking the carnival?”

Glad to look over at the other stalls, Theissen replied in a slightly higher than normal voice, “Oh, it’s, um. Well, it’s full of, um. Yes. I like the monkeys.”

She laughed again. “You like the monkeys?”

Theissen nodding, heading back towards the monkeys with great relief that he could stare at them.

“You should see the acrobats if you like the monkeys,” the woman said.

He felt her link her arm around his waist. For a second, he checked to make sure his coin purse was well attached, also seeing if his carpentry belt was hooked right. But then he remembered he had left his belt with his travel bag stuffed under some fishing nets since both here too heavy to carry around.

“Oh, are they hairy and funny looking too?” Theissen asked.

Her musical laugh answered him. “Come on, you silly. I’ll sneak you in to see.”

Theissen halted. “Oh, no. I don’t sneak in.”

She stopped, looking honestly surprised. “Don’t worry, honey. They’ll let you pass if you are with me.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t have people think I am stealing. Let me buy a ticket instead.”

The woman laughed again, shrugged and led Theissen to the ticket counter.

The show was amazing. It was beyond his experience. Nothing like this had ever stopped into Lumen Village, and Theissen vowed to write home about it as soon as he could. There were men who dared make one of those lions perform tricks with nothing more than a whip for protection. Another man made the monkeys so somersaults and other tricks, including jump through fire—and all of this without the aid of magic.

The acrobats leapt and balanced in the air on balls then on narrow legs of chairs. Some stood on umbrellas, balancing on the tips of their toes, others dangling on strings by their teeth. Girls did flips, standing on chairs the strong man lifted up in numbers unusual and unthinkable for normal men. The women in shining clothes flew through the air, swinging from ropes to ropes like butterflies going from flower to flower. Men walked on thin ropes at great heights, not falling or slipping with only the skill of balance. As Theissen watched he cheered. This was better than watching magic push and pull things. It was skill and beautiful.

There was more. A comedy show, a pet show, and of course a show of magic tricks for those that were amused by that sort of thing. Theissen lost interest when the magician came into the arena. The man was somewhat unusual with the flow sort of swelling around him rather than just passing by like with others, but he did not have even the slightest demonic stink. He mostly performed tricks that fooled the eye, using real magic from time to time to create flashes for effect. He had used a spell to make a woman’s handkerchief fly around the room, but Theissen could do that in his sleep without even thinking about it. He was half tempted to make the performing pigmy elephant’s water gather in a cloud and rain on the man. But that really would have caused more trouble than the joke was worth.

When the show was done, the crowd rose from their seats. Theissen got up, or tried to, but the flashy lady that had brought him there had rushed immediately over the ring, climbing the barrier that kept the animals from the guests, and latched on his arm again.

“So! How’d you like it?”

Theissen blushed, trying to avert his eyes again. “Oh, I loved it. Especially those flying men that did all that leaping and balancing and stuff.”

She held on him tighter, more affectionate like that made a shiver run up his back. The woman was giving off that flirtatious odor, but only just. “But how did you like my part of the show? Did I do well?”

His face was feeling hotter, and he tried to smile as he looked over where the bear trainer was leading off his animal towards the cages. “Oh, that part was good all right.”

“What did you like about it?” He could feel her hand reaching around his waist again, going for an embrace.

“What did I like about it?” Trying to push free in a way that would not insult her, he continued to avert his gaze towards the far door. More people were leaving, and he wished that he were going with them.

“Yes. Did you have a favorite part?”

Theissen couldn’t recall. In fact, all he remembered about her part was that the strong man that lifted her and five other girls looked capable of crushing a cherry wood chest he had once made for rough use.

“Well…”

“How do you like my costume?” she asked, pulling back and turning his head with her hand so he would look at her.

Blushing straight off, Theissen had no answer except to wish she wore more clothes. Since he couldn’t say that, he was about to say it looked very blue on her. However, before he could even say the word ‘it’, something hard crashed down on the back of his head. From there all he could feel was the cruel throbbing sensation of pain from the top his skull to the sides of his ears.

He fell over.

“Blasted silly man. It’s about time!”

“You there! Hurry and get him out and tie those hands up! We need him secured and tucked before we head off!”

“Oh, for pity’s sake. This lug is heavy!”

“Well, he ain’t a weakling, now is he?”

“Just shut it, you! And get him in cart.”

It was hard to focus, though Theissen tried, blinking at the tent top and the blurred faces that stood over him. “What?”

“Oh, blast! That guy is still awake! Knock him one more time!”

“His head’s hard as a brick I tell you!”

“Just thump him one, or do I have to—”

But Theissen did not hear the rest of what she though she had to do. The second time worked.

Chapter Twenty-Five: What Kind of Fool Idiot Travels Alone in the Forest?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He felt the throbbing first. Then the rocking motion.

Trying to open his eyes also proved harder than he thought. Or rather, he saw nothing but a dim shadow and a bright crack of light rimming the floor to the strangely small room he found himself in. Theissen blinked once. Then twice, focusing on the ceiling then the uncomfortable position he found his arms in. They were behind his back, tied tight.

With a huff, Theissen felt into the ropes and loosened them immediately. The rope dropped to the floor. His arms were sore, but as he sat up and stretched them out, inspecting his jostling room more closely, he realized that it was not a room at all but one of those travelling carnival cages. The canvass flaps blocked out most the light, making it dark. However, Theissen could feel the bars and could tell from the motion that the group that banged him on the head had decided to take him north anyway.

Well, he refused to go north. Without another thought on the subject, Theissen untied his feet and then touched up his bruised head, giving it a healing tweak so that he could think sensibly about escape.

The first thing he did was push apart the floor, sticking out his head to see if he would get trampled on if he just dropped down. Behind his cage he saw another rolling cart. The horse pulling it had a sensible nature, he could feel, and he called for it to slow down some so he would have time to escape without getting trampled on.

It gave a small neigh and obliged, suddenly slowing to a walk.

“Eh? What did you slow down for? Gee up!” called out a voice from above.

Theissen dropped straight through the floor, let the back wheels roll past, and then he jumped right to his feet. Darting to the right, hoping to have forest to escape into, Theissen crashed almost straight into Mr. big muscles. Though he tried to dodge, it was too late. The man grabbed him then dragged him by the arm with large striding steps towards the front of the caravan.

“Look what the carriage just laid! A funny walking egg!” The man’s voice boomed low and thick.

“Oh, you must be joking! How’d he get out?”

Theissen saw the lean man who had approached him while he had been wood carving in the docks. It was the ringmaster, or perhaps more apt, ringleader.

The meaty man shook Theissen, standing him upright