Wizard of Jatte by Rowan Erlking (ereader ebook .TXT) 📖

with her own. Milrina groped her pockets. Then she glared at the child herself.

“Please! Stop!” An unusually short woman ran out from a stall, grabbing the back of Theissen’s cloak. “I’m sorry. My child has yet learn better!”

Theissen did not let go, but turned and stared at the familiar face of the woman who had given him water when he was locked in a cage in that carnival. “You? I should have known…. She’s your kid?”

The woman bowed to him, nodding. “My apologies, great wizard. Had we known—”

“That stealing was wrong?” he shouted. The entire dock watched, maintaining their distance, though their eyes had fallen to the money pouches, and the people were now groping their pockets.

The small woman cowered lower. “You must really hate me.”

“Hate?” Theissen set the child down and made the child’s feet sink into the planks of the pier so she could not run away when he let go. “I’m annoyed with you, that’s what! Now where is that blasted carnival? They’re not going to get away with their scams this time.”

Ducking her head, the extremely short woman said, “We left the carnival. They only travel the western coast.”

He could tell she was not lying. Her fear of him reeked strong though.

Closing his eyes and drawing in a breath to think, he said, “Look. Because you tried to help me a little back then, I’ll cut you a break. If you and your little thieving brats give up living like bandits, I’ll find you some honest work for good pay as well as a place to stay. Fair?”

The extremely short woman blinked at him. It took a moment for his words to register in her brain. Tears immediately flooding her eyes. “Fair? It is beyond anything I expected. Merciful Wizard—”

“My name’s Theissen. Call me that. Using the word ‘wizard’ makes me itch.” He extended his hand to her. “You’ll work for me from now on. Deal?”

She nodded vigorously. She turned to her child who scowled at him, and said, “We all will.”

“Don’t wanna!” the little girl shouted. But she was unable to raise her foot to kick him.

Her playmate, a twin, stood several feet away shaking.

Crouching down, Theissen showed her his palms. “So you want me to turn you into the authorities so you can have you hands sliced open for thieving, is that it?”

The little girl stared at his scarred hands. Then she looked at his face.

“You need to learn the value of the harm you cause when you steal,” he said.

She shuddered.

Rising up, Theissen nodded to the unusually short woman. Then he pointed up at the tower. “I live there. Take your belongings and meet my friends up there.” He then handed her the fish they had bought and stuffed a few coins into her palm. “Also go and buy some fruit. My friends there really like fruit.”

“You’re going to trust her?” Theobold wildly gestured at the woman her thieving offspring as Theissen released the child’s feet from the flooring, his voice raising incredulously high. He looked likely to snatch the fish back.

Patting him on the shoulder, Theissen said loud for all listening in to hear, “I’m not worried. I have demon friends willing to fly around and drag her and the brats back to the tower if they don’t come. Am I right?”

Theobold chuckled. Eying the short woman he nodded. “Oh, yeah. You’re right.”

“Demon?” Milrina murmured. She turned with a look to Theobold.

Theobold winked at Milrina and then at the twin girls who shuddered. “Don’t worry. I only eat fruit.”

“Yeah? Well I’m still going to make fish for you. It really is good.” And Theissen started off to the end of the pier as if his business were complete. He stopped, though, his eyes immediately fixing on the open water.

They all looked out to see what he was staring at.

It was a ship, unlike Theissen had ever seen before. Gigantic. It heavily floated in towards another dock, billowing steam into the air. No sails at all. Not even oars. There were two large wheels, like at a mill, that pushed it along. It even seemed to be made of metal. That far dock was full of smaller ships just like it.

“What is that?”

Milrina peered carefully then nodded with a sigh. “A Westhaven ship. That’s the Westhaven dock. Some Hann dock there too, but mostly Westhaven tradesmen dock there.”

“Westhaven?” Theissen murmured. He walked towards it. “Forget Hann tradesmen. If I can find a native to talk to, then I can really get a translation.”

Theobold flapped after him. Those on the dock scattered back. Even Milrina jumped. But then she sighed, now understanding the conversation back on the other docks.

“Well then, let’s go!” Theobold looked ready to fly there.

“Can I come too?” the extremely short woman asked. The twins followed her, sulking at Theissen, but looking unhappy at the idea of being left behind.

“What for?” Theissen asked.  Then he shook his head. “Look, I really need you to go ahead to the tower and make them lunch. Nobody at the tower knows how to cook but me. I can just imagine Teppan complaining to Ronen, and Dobbis snorting about the inconvenience of my choice of living space, and all the others tired of cleaning.” Theissen nudged Theobold in the side. “They’re going to chew you out for not coming back straight away.”

Theobold just laughed.

“No,” Theissen said to the small woman with a tired smile. “Please go ahead to the tower.”

“You don’t mean the cursed tower?” the woman murmured, staring up at him. But seeing his face and remembering that he was a wizard, she quickly drew herself up and nodded. “I’ll go straight away!”

“And buy fruit,” he reminded her.

She nodded again then waved for her girls to follow.

“Do you think we’ll see her again?” Theobold whispered in his ear, his eyes still on the twins.

Theissen smirked. “Yeah. I figure we can count on it.”

He then gestured for Milrina to lead the way to the Westhaven docks.

They chatted as they walked. This time Milrina asked Theobold questions about being a demon. Delighted that Milrina took his demonic state in stride, Theobold happily answered all her questions. But then Theissen reminded him that she had the unusual talent for accepting people for who they were without prejudice, something he had personally liked about her. Mostly Milrina Theobold about the birdmen village and how he really knew Theissen. She was digging for the entire story, if possible. Theobold grinned contentedly as he chatted about how Theissen had been sick, something that made her worry until Theobold explained about the poisoning, which made her even more worried until Theobold told her of Theissen’s amazing escape.

“You know, for a man without wings, he certainly understands the wind.” Theobold laughed. “He could stir one up and use it to keep him from falling off the branches of even the narrowest trees.”

She laughed, nodding. “That’s my cousin! Always stirring up winds and playing around. You haven’t changed that much after all!”

But Theissen had been silent, staring at the foreign boats. They were monstrous, ironclad things. The sailors on them had an extremely different look to them. Their eyes were round, defined, almost frog-like in their blockish faces. Their irises were multiple shades lighter than the soil brown of his people, some gray, and some not quite a blue. Their hair also ranged from the light brown of toast, to the color of deep black. And their skin had a creamy rich tan, lighter than a Hann’s and much rougher from serious hard work. Some of the sailors had bristly faces full of hair with scars and pocks all over their skin where they had been cut or were diseased in the past. Others were clean-shaven and smooth skinned like aristocrats. Almost all of them were tall.

“Are you sure you want to talk to one of them?” Theobold pulled back as he looked at the anti-demon wards hanging on the front of the nearest ship.

They passed several dockworkers. Some of them were Jatte locals. A few looked like Angledons. But most were from the ships in Westhaven attire. Yet, there was one impressively large man dressed in Jatte clothes moving freight who was obviously from Westhaven. Theissen gazed up at the nearest ship and called out. “Hello up there! I’m seeking someone who understands Jatten well and reads Westhavenese!”

Several heads turned. Most of them muttered in their foreign dialects, though the Jatte people all peered at him with mirth.

“Chances of that are very slim,” a Jatte dockworker said. “I speak their language, but I can’t read it.”

Crossing over to him, Theissen took out the letter from Jonis. “That’s ok. They can read it to you, and you can tell me what it says.”

“What is that?” the dockworker asked, gesturing to the paper.

“A letter. I’m in correspondence with a man in Westhaven. I had a Hann trader translate the last letter me, but I don’t exactly trust the Hann to give a good translation,” Theissen said.

The Westhaven sailors and dockworkers peered at the envelope, especially at the sending spell written on the open side. Theissen had drawn out the letter, making sure the envelope stayed open.

The Jatte dockworker reached out for it. “I think I can find a reader for you.”

“I’ll act as scribe,” Theobold announced, taking out the writing kit and opening up a bottle of ink. He pulled out a demon quill he had on him.

“Nice quill,” one of the workers murmured.

“Thanks,” Theobold said, grinning, “We sell them. Now, I’m ready.”

The dockworker held the paper up and called out in the Westhaven language, “Yo na yi yeddin lobawyrn soran di des?”

Several of the Westhaven men murmured among themselves. The large one in Jatte clothes wandered nearer to take a look.

“Koi kokkan! Thearrs mo kokkan Emrit!” A voice in Angledon shouted across the docks. It drew all their attention away from the letter, eyes turning to the shore.

Marching down the broad wooden pier came Captain Shmiter, of all people. With him a troop of about ten men followed, all armed with swords and some with crossbows. The Angledon dockworkers pulled back, cowering as the others just stared at him. Many moved in between the Westhaven ship and the approaching soldiers.

Captain Shmiter shouted out, pointing at the huge Westhavener in Jatte clothes. “Maka koi! Emrit mo nika na bo nama the’asan!”

Theissen shared a look with Theobold and Milrina, wondering if he should get out of the way.

“Mekani!” The huge Westhavener thrust up his chest, lifting his chin with an apparent militaristic dignity that rivaled the captain’s. The Westhavener spoke Angledon, though he was halting at it as if he did not quite know all the words. “Hoi yet mo bo nama. Mako lakado domase ke.”

“Koi! Mo kokkan bo mo!”

Captain Shmiter’s hate reeked out. Though the odor of dislike from the Westhavener was also laced with fear. It made Theissen’s stomach turn. He covered his mouth, whirling towards the edge of the water.

“Theissen!” Milrina cried out, rushing to his side. “What is it?”

He just shook his head. “Hate stinks.”

The Jatte workers broke into laughter.

“You? The Lumen carpenter?” Captain Shmiter said, suddenly staring at him. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you come out of the chamber of commerce hall to meet me? I waited all morning.” But then he shook his head. “Never mind. Keep out of the way. I have to apprehend this bandit.”

“Bandit?” Theissen turned, looking at the large Westhavener. The foreigner narrowed his gaze on Theissen also. “He’s a bandit?”

The captain nodded. Pointing at the Westhavener with a ferocious glare, the captain snarled, “The worst kind.”

Theissen blinked at the Westhavener. He was inclined to believe this huge man was dangerous, yet the giant from Westhaven did not have the same hateful murderous reek of the bandits that had jumped him on the road. In fact, the more he looked at the situation, the more realized that staying out of it was the best for all concerned.

He waved to Theobold who was standing on the other side of the dock peering quizzically