Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Charade ❯ Other Side of the World ( Chapter 2 )

Warning: very mild scene of a sexual nature in this chapter. Begins at part three and ends shortly after.

 

Chapter Two: Other Side of the World

 

*****

1

*****

 

Calcifex, green eyes widening in wonder and glee, took in the hustle, bustle, and noise of the Morcimus Faire that was happening in the lovely city of Laedel.

 

“Isn't this spectacular, Sid?” he roared over the racket. An acrobat, whose limbs seemed as flexible as rubber, went cart-wheeling by. A man dressed in a checkered orange and blue suit ambled past the wizard and his companion on stilts. A train of barely clad gypsy women sauntered their way down the road, dangerously enticing with their tanned skin and suggestive eyes. One of them, sporting lovely curves and black hair that looked easy to grab onto, sashayed up to Calcifex and beckoned to him to follow.

 

“Don't even think about it, you tramp!” Sidereus, the light spirit, warned. “Those people are magnets for disease.”

 

“Aw, Sid, don't go ruining my fun,” Calcifex whined, but he bade the gypsy to move on with an apologetic smile.

 

“This place is a dump, Cal. Plus there are way too many of those filthy humans traipsing about. Any one of them could find me and put me out if you're not careful. Remember what happened in Markell?”

 

But the wizard had long ago stopped listening to his demonic friend. He slid his way into the procession and tried to blend in. A woman - or was that a man? - riding a Bengal tiger passed him on the left. To his right, a herd of what appeared to be children, but upon closer inspection turned out to be short little men, was singing some unintelligible tune that spoke of booze and pleasurable company.

 

The entire parade was fast-moving, and Calcifex had to struggle to keep up without using his magic. But the view was worth it. He'd never before seen such life, such energy. This place was amazing.

 

“Three months of this celebration is definitely something I can get used to,” he said aloud to no one in particular.

 

“Yeah, well, just don't get too attached,” replied Sidereus, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the past few minutes. “You know we can't stay here for longer than a month.”

 

“Oh? And why is that, all-knowing pal of mine?”

 

“Stop being an ass, Calcifex. You know why. In a couple weeks you'll start complaining about how you feel trapped and suffocated. Then you'll haul all your booty together and hit the road.”

 

“Booty?”

 

The wizard could almost feel Sidereus rolling his eyes inside the silver pocket watch that was his home. “You know - that enormous amount of useless junk that you steal from all your conquests.”

 

Cal laughed. “Oh, that. Couldn't you have come up with something better to call it than `booty'? I'm not a pirate captain, in case you hadn't noticed.”

 

“Just shut up and walk,” said the spirit.

 

“Fine, fine. No need to get all snippy about it.”

 

Calcifex kept on moving with the crowd. Every so often he would get jostled this way or that, and the offender wouldn't even stop to apologize. He didn't mind, however. He loved the fullness of the streets and the loudness in the air. The smells, the sights, be they grotesque or highly appealing, were all things he thrived upon. Here and there he would single out a beautiful young girl or a strapping gentleman. He saved their images in his mind for later, in case he should want some entertainment. And luckily for Calcifex, he didn't nitpick over minor details like whether or not his pray was male or female, tall or short, pale or tan. Any attractive person would do. And all the while he chose his victims, Sidereus kept up a constant commentary from his place by Cal's left pectoral muscle, tucked safely away in the chest pocket on Calcifex's gray tunic.

 

“Oh, gods,” he moaned. “Is that royal oil he's burning? That flame smells delicious!”

 

“Keep it in your rays, Sid,” Calcifex teased. “I'll make sure you get fed once we settle down for the night.”

 

Outside the limits of the procession, venders had set up booths on the edges of the road. They yelled in loud, fast-talking voices. If one was skilled enough to understand what they were saying, one ignored them. As it was, dozens of unwary citizens were suckered into buying overpriced wares that would probably fall apart in a couple of days. Calcifex soon discovered that if the shopkeepers didn't get a person's money, pickpockets would. Innocent looking little children - boys and girls alike - darted here and there, in between people and deftly slipped coins out of their pockets with ease. Cal kept his hands close to his own cash, just in case.

 

“So who do you think we should swindle tonight, Sidereus? A kindly old lady? Or maybe a young one? A desperate old man, perhaps?”

 

“Oh, let's not rope one of those terrible crones in, Calcifex. All they want is to be turned into pretty little girls with tits that are too big for them to walk with.”

 

“All right, so no elders. Let's scratch out the men, too, since they always wish for huge cocks.” Calcifex was shoved to the side by a large, bearded man beating a drum, and ended up skirting the front of the crowds that were watching the parade. “That leaves us with the option of a striking young lass,” the wizard observed. “What do you say we jump out of this line and scout out a candidate?”

 

With that he let himself be deposited on the sidewalk by the perpetual flow of the performers. Once free of their pull, he brushed himself off and continued down the road at an amicable pace.

 

“Livestock! Get your livestock `ere! Livestock!” A beady-eyed, rotund man wearing a sullied apron and shining brightly from a combination of the sun and a thin sheen of sweat coating his skin was shouting just a few meters ahead of Calcifex. “I've got spring hens, fat porkers, ready to be roasted, and woolin' sheep! Just three silver pieces a pop, lads! Come and get `em!”

 

Behind the man stood four women - one who looked to be on the far side of middle-aged, and a trio of younger ones.

 

“My, my, what have we here?” Calcifex asked himself. His jade eyes fell upon the oldest woman. He decided she must be the wife of the livestock seller. She was almost as rich in girth as he, and she sported a mustache no man he'd ever seen could rival.

 

`Those others must be their daughters, then,' Cal deduced. Surprisingly, all three of them looked nothing like their parents. They weren't gleaming with perspiration, nor did they possess any extraneous body hair. Each girl had shining blonde hair and carried a looped piece of brown leather strap, the other end of which was tied around the neck of an animal.

 

“What do you think, Sid?”

 

“I don't know, Calcifex. The father might be trouble.”

 

“Ah, but there are ways around that,” Calcifex said with a smile. Donning a kind, gentlemanly visage, he approached the family. With his hands clasped demurely behind his back, he pretended to be admiring the pigs that two of the daughters were tethered to.

 

“You lookin' to buy one of these here animals?” the burly man said.

 

Calcifex looked at him and offered a grin. “I wish I could, but they look like such fine specimens, I'm not sure I could afford one,” he said, even though he'd heard how much they cost and knew he could buy the whole lot of them if he wanted.

 

One could practically see the gears working in the man's head. His beady eyes slowly lit up, and he responded, much too offhandedly, “I'll tell you what. I'll sell one of these here for, oh, say… five silver pieces?”

 

“My good sir,” Cal said, faking surprise, “You're much too kind. I could never accept such a generous offer! I would almost think… But no, no… That would be too bold of me…”

 

One bushy, sweat-soaked brow rose. “What?”

 

“We-ell… You see, I am in need of a warm place to stay tonight, and your selflessness made me think that perhaps you would be so good as to allow a weary traveler such as myself to spend an evening under your roof. But I realize that is very rude of me, and I do apologize for my forwardness.” Finishing up the act with a little bow, Calcifex waited.

 

The man was silent for a minute or two as he looked the wizard up and down. “You could stay,” he said slowly. “But you'll have to pay for it…”

 

“Oh, of course!” Cal said, straightening up. “I would never accept a proposition like that otherwise.”

 

“Right… Well, my name's Angor, and that there is my wife, Uena. The girls here be Lyli, Hanah, and Denda.”

 

“It is my greatest pleasure to meet you all,” Calcifex told them. He kissed the back of Uena's hand, and she blinked stupidly in surprise. He bowed yet again to each daughter, but Sidereus' whisper of, “Be careful,” kept him from kissing their hands as well. He knew the spirit was right to say that; they didn't want to make their father upset so early.

 

“We're gonna be sellin' here for the rest of the day. If you want to sit around, you can. Or you can look around here and meet us at this spot come sundown,” Angor informed him.

 

“I think I'd like to see the rest of the celebration,” said Cal. “So I'll bid you all good day for now, and find you later this evening.”

 

He turned on his heel then, trying to hide the triumphant smile that surfaced on his face. `That was too easy,' he thought, giving himself a mental pat on the back for his phenomenal theatrics.

 

“That woman smelled like rotten pork, Calcifex,” Sidereus spoke up.

 

“Don't worry, my shiny friend, it's not she that we'll be in bed with, is it?”

 

“That brings up another thing; what if one of those floaty little girls tattles? Then what?”

 

“Ah, but they won't do that,” Cal said, slightly distractedly, as his eye had just been caught by a tall, muscular man who was breathing fire for a small, frightened-looking crowd.

 

“What makes you so- hey… Hey! Are you listening to me? Gods, Cal.” Sidereus huffed.

 

“Yes, of course I am, Sid,” the wizard said, but his voice was a little vacant.

 

“Yeah, then what makes you so sure one of those birds won't sing, huh?”

 

Growing rather annoyed now at the spirit's incessant nagging, Calcifex replied somewhat sharply, “Because I'll make them stay quiet, okay?”

 

“Well, jeez, I was just concerned. Pardon me, next time I'll let you get your neck stuck on a chopping block.”

 

The fire breather finished up his routine and moved on out of Cal's view. “Oh, calm down, Sid,” he sighed, attention finally all in one place. “Sorry, but you know I can handle it if any of those pretty ladies gets it in her head to squawk.”

 

Sidereus' reply sounded reluctant. “Yeah, I know… You just have to remember to keep your guard up, all right?”

 

Calcifex smiled. “Okay.”

 

“Good. Now stop acting all sappy and get a move on. I smell a damn good fire burning somewhere ahead.”

 

The wizard laughed, and they moved on.

 

By that time, the end of the parade had long ago passed them, so regular people were crowding the streets, and it was easy to get lost. But Calcifex had no particular destination in mind, so he let himself be swept along in whatever direction the people were moving.

 

Dotted sparsely among the normalcy were strange sites that could not be explained. A squat woman who seemed to have her head on backwards, a snake changing into a bird at will with a loud `pop', a little boy with three rows of sharp, shiny teeth nestled in his grinning mouth. They were probably just tricks, Cal told himself, amateur magic meant to fool a person with half a brain. All the same, they were fun to look at. Such was the charm of the Morcimus Faire.

 

Past a bakery selling sugary concoctions and a team of dancing black dogs, a wrinkled old woman sat behind a table that was draped in purple cloth. A sign hung in front of it told passersby, `Wilzelda, the Fortune Teller. One Copper Piece Per Reading.'

 

“Oh, now that looks like a fun bit of trickery right there, doesn't it, Sid?” Calcifex commented.

 

“Do as you please, Cal, but I'd rather not know my future. If I'm going to die tomorrow, let's keep that a secret.”

 

“Hah, very well. It's all fake anyway, though. No one can really read a person's fate.” With that, Calcifex strolled up to the woman and grinned at her. Up close, she was quite a sight. Brown skin ran amuck with deep crevices and liver spots. A large, squished nose had been pierced several times, and each hole was adorned with tiny gold rings. Her thin, barely-there lips had been painted red, to contrast the sky blue color on her closed eyelids. Bushy black eyebrows and hair contradicted her obvious age. And her tiny ears were bedecked in dozens of sparkly trinkets.

 

Before Calcifex could greet her, Wilzelda's tinted eyes shot open, revealing irises of the same startling hue. “One copper piece,” she said in a voice that was crackly and warm as a fire in a hearth.

 

Cal fished the required amount out of his pocket and dropped it on the table. The woman's knobby fingered hands swiped the coin off of the cloth much quicker than one would expect was possible.

 

“Give me your palm, wizard.”

 

Green eyes widening, Calcifex asked, “How did you know?”

 

“The Third Eye sees all. Now, palm up.” Wilzelda grabbed the hand that Cal hesitantly extended. He was starting to think this had been a bad idea. From inside the pocket watch, Sidereus shivered.

 

The old woman traced one red fingernail over all the lines in Calcifex's skin, mumbling incoherently to herself the entire time. Finally, when several uncomfortable minutes had been spent, she looked up at him.

 

“You have suffered, and caused much suffering. But a bright future awaits you, if you can learn to repent. But beware,” her voice dropped a note in tone, and she spoke reverently. “Should you continue your dangerous ways, you will end up losing everything, and hurting the only one who will ever matter.”

 

Calcifex blinked several times. Then he pulled his hand back and barked out a short laugh. “I knew it; you're a fake. That you knew I was a wizard was a lucky guess. I'm not impressed with your `skills' at all.”

 

A blue gaze stared steadily at him. “Believe what you must, wizard. But before you go, I wonder… Would your friend like a reading as well?” Wilzelda nodded at his breast pocket, where Sidereus had suddenly started buzzing with panic.

 

Calcifex turned around and left then, moving as fast as he could. He assured himself over and over that the woman had no sort of powers. It was all theatrics. But his friend's worried shaking against his heart was making him doubt himself, and try as he might, he couldn't stop rubbing the hand that the old hag had touched.

 

*****

2

*****

 

A few hours passed, and Calcifex was sure he had visited every place of interest along the entire road. Sidereus hadn't said a single word since the incident with the fortune teller, and Cal didn't blame him. When the sun started to sink below the horizon, bathing the sky in a breath-taking pink, the wizard made his way back to where he had found Angor and his family.

 

They were right where they'd been left, busy with gathering their remaining animals together.

 

“We live only a couple streets down there,” Angor told them. He led them all for several minutes, making dizzying turns through maze-like paths that wound deep into the edges of the city from the center road.

 

They finally stopped in front of a modest little house that looked very lived in. The walls were painted off-white, and the brown hay roof curved and sloped in irregular ways.

 

“It ain't anythin' to be boastin' over, but this here is home,” said Angor gruffly.

 

“It looks positively splendid,” Calcifex gushed, not entirely lying. He had stayed in worse places.

 

“I don't know about that, but I'm sure it'll do for you.”

 

Uena opened the front door, and the group went inside. Someone - probably Lyli, who was closest - lit a lamp, and the room they had stepped into was illuminated. It was a small kitchen, with a slanted wooden table off to one side, surrounded by a flock of misshaped chairs, and a sink and cupboard against the opposite wall. Lined up next to the sink was a row of burlap bags, which were most likely filled up with foods. The light that was allowing them to see was in the middle of the table, and standing by it looking decidedly nervous were all three of Angor's daughters.

 

“Hanah,” the man said to the girl in the middle, “Bring, uh… What's your name?”

 

“Calcifex, sir.”

 

“Right. Bring Calcifex up to the loft, will ya?”

 

The female in question blushed redder than a virgin and nodded. Without looking to make sure Cal was following, she turned around and left the kitchen through a doorway in the far wall. The wizard went after her quickly, making the choice in his mind that she would be the first one he would visit at night.

 

In the next room, which seemed to be a comfy living room decorated with too many flowers, a staircase led to the second story of the house. They climbed its steps, Calcifex enjoying the view of Hanah's swaying rear at the same time, but did not stop at the next level. Instead, the two of them ascended yet another set of stairs, and ended up in what Cal deduced must be the loft. It was spacious enough, covering the entire area of the building. In its corners, a couple of odd furniture pieces were gathering dust. One was an ancient looking bed with a lumpy straw-filled mattress.

 

Hanah mumbled something under her breath, keeping her brown eyes glued to the hard wood floor.

 

“Come again, my dear?” Calcifex turned to her and flashed his most charming smile. “I didn't catch that. I was too busy looking at your exquisite face.”

 

Embarrassed color flushed her cheeks. Stammering slightly, she said again, “This is w-where you'll b-be staying…”

 

“I see. And what a fine room this is. And how fitting, for such a fine woman such as yourself to show it to me.” He caught her gaze for a second before she nodded quickly and disappeared down the steps.

 

“Smooth, Cal,” Sidereus said, speaking for the first time in hours. His extended silence had begun to worry the wizard.

 

“She'll be begging me for it in no time at all,” Calcifex replied, pretending he wasn't extremely relieved to hear his friend's voice again.

 

“Of course she will. Now will you let me out of here? I'm starving and I think I've got a cramp in my right side.”

 

Cal snorted but took out the pocket watch and popped the lid. “I hate to tell you this, Sid, but you don't get cramps. And your pity-party is not flattering.”

 

Sidereus came flying out of the thing and floated in front of the wizard's face, looking cross. “Oh, details, details. And don't you talk to me like that. You'd be cranky too, if you were locked in a watch for hours.”

 

“Guess it's lucky that I'm not, then, isn't it?”

 

“Shove it, witchy. And light me a fire, or I'll break your pathetic fleshy nose.”

 

“Once again, you can't,” Calcifex reminded him. “Besides, you're just jealous because I actually have a nose.”

 

“You're annoying, did I ever mention that?”

 

“All the time, love. Now wait just a second and I'll feed you.”

 

“Don't call me that,” Sidereus chided. “And hurry it up.”

 

Cal conjured a bowl out of thin air and used another burst of magic to light a fireball inside it. The flame burned merrily, happy to stay in its place. “Patience is a virtue, Sid, remember that,” the wizard said, and handed set the bowl on the floor.

 

The ravenous light spirit engulfed his meal immediately, leaving no trace behind that it had ever been there besides the dish, which Calcifex disposed of with a wave of his hand.

 

“You eat like a boar,” he informed Sidereus.

 

“That's better than looking like one, pal.”

 

“Oh, right, Sid, that's awfully mature. I should-“

 

But a noise in the stairwell interrupted his threat, and Sidereus flew rapidly back into his watch. Moments later, Uena's greasy head poked up into the room. “Dinner is ready,” she said, in a voice as deep as her husband's. Then she was gone.

 

“Not one for hospitality, is she?” Sid muttered wryly.

 

“No, I suppose not. But in any case, I should head down there and act the part of kindly traveler again, shouldn't I?”

 

“I can't believe they've bought it this far, myself.”

 

Calcifex shook his head and took a few steps towards the stairs. “I'm just too talented for my own good, aren't I?”

 

Sidereus' reply was laced with sarcasm. “Oh, absolutely, Great One. We all bow before your prowess.”

 

“As well you should,” the wizard said with a grin, and disappeared down the steps.

 

Dinner was a quiet affair, with anxious glances exchanged between the sisters and their mother. The perpetual sounds of chewing were accompanied by a chorus of silverware scraping against plates and dishes, goblets being plunked heavily down on the table, and the occasional grunt from Angor as he devoured his food.

 

Calcifex was mildly impressed with what the family had managed to procure for a meal. It was complete with several racks of lamb, large bowls of peas and beans, as well as three loaves of freshly baked bread. To wash it all down with, a round of nicely aged wine was served. It was not of the highest possible quality, but it didn't taste too badly. Seeing as how Cal had once drunk something that reminded him suspiciously of piss, he was not put off by the second-rate wine he was having now.

 

After everyone had cleaned their plates of all morsels of food, Angor leveled his gaze at Calcifex. There was a tiny sliver of meat hanging from the man's bottom lip, but Cal didn't mention it. Instead, he listened while Angor started to speak, putting on his best friendly face and acting extraordinarily interested.

 

“Now, we'll be havin' to discuss what you'll be payin' for stayin' here.”

 

“Ah, yes,” said Calcifex, nodding intently. “I am willing to pay any price you set. After all, it's the least I can do since you've treated me with such generosity. I am quite sure I would be out on the streets tonight, otherwise,” he told them, even though he was lying through his pearly white teeth. By now, had he not come home with Angor and the ladies, he would have been, to put it frankly, fucking some lucky woman or man in oblivion. But he didn't say that aloud.

 

Uena, who seemed to dislike talking and always spoke in as little words as possible, spoke up, surprising the wizard. “If you stay here, you will follow all the rules.”

 

Recovering quickly from the initial shock of hearing the woman's toad-like voice address him, Calcifex smiled and responded, “Absolutely, madam. I would never dream of disrupting your household.”

 

But Uena didn't say anything more, just looked at him, her expression fixed in a permanent glare, and waited for her husband to speak again.

 

And he did. “Now, lessee… If you're gonna be here, sleepin' and eatin' with us, I'd say that should make out to about four silver pieces a night. What say you to that?”

 

Calcifex almost snorted, but quickly held himself back. He would bet anything that he could stay in a high class inn somewhere in the city for just as much as what Angor wanted to charge him, but Cal disliked inns, they were too straight laced with too many rules, so he just accepted the deal. “That sounds perfectly reasonable,” he fibbed. “I suppose you'll want me to pay you now, then?”

 

“The coin can wait till tonight, just don't be forgettin' it,” Angor said.

 

“Very well. Now, if you all don't mind, I'd like to spend a while in the loft before nightfall.” Cal bestowed each of them with a smile, but let his gaze linger a nanosecond longer on Hanah, who blushed as expected. He looked at her father then. “I'll come back down with your money before bedtime. Thank you for the fantastic dinner.”

 

With a flourish that only Calcifex could accomplish in such an ordinary situation, the wizard left the table and made his way upstairs to his temporary quarters. There he came upon Sidereus, who had somehow freed himself from the confines of his watch.

 

“Now, pray tell, how did you manage that little trick, Sid?” asked Calcifex.

 

“I never fully closed the clasp when that beast of a woman came up here,” the spirit replied. “Don't you look at me like that, Cal; I just wanted a little fresh air. I didn't get into any trouble.”

 

“Hm, yes, well, this just means I have to be careful about that from now on. I can't have you getting out when it would be inconvenient, can I?”

 

“Oh, stop it. I'm not going to do anything stupid like that, which you know very well. If anyone does anything that screws things up at crucial times, it's you,” Sidereus floated agitatedly around his friend's head. Calcifex took a half-hearted swat at him and missed on purpose.

 

“All right, fine. I trust you, Sid. Just watch it. If anyone had seen you up here, there would have been trouble.”

 

“I'm smarter than you give me credit for, Calcifex. It's not like I was shining like a supernova for the world to gape at. But let's just forget it, okay? I'm not in the mood for bickering.” Sidereus glided slowly over to the bed and settled down on it. Or rather, hovered several inches above its surface. Calcifex strode over and deposited himself next to Sid.

 

“I'll be bringing that girl up here tonight, just so you know,” the wizard said after several moments of quiet.

 

“That Hanah, you mean? Fine. I'll be locked up inside the watch, trying to block out your disgusting human mating sounds, as usual.” Sidereus' words were unkind, but there was a grin in his tone, and he knew his companion could hear it.

 

“Very well. I'll be sure to make her moan extra loud, just for your listening pleasure, you perverted little sprite.”

 

“And in the morning, I'll burn your eyebrows off. Sound good?”

 

“Excellent. Simply excellent.”

 

*****

3

*****

 

Calcifex, true to form, had managed to seduce his way into the hearts and bloomers of not only Hanah, but Denda and Lyli as well, by the end of the week. Lyli was the prettiest, he decided, after seeing them all naked. She had the perkiest breasts, as well as the silkiest hair. However, Denda had the strongest legs and the curviest hips. It was shy little Hanah, though, who screamed the loudest when he was pounding into her. She was undoubtedly his favorite.

 

None of the girls had disobeyed his order not to tell anyone of their adventures, and each one thought she was the sole bearer of his attention. Truth be told, Uena and Angor were quite perplexed over their daughters' behavior those few days that Calcifex stayed with them; they would walk around all day in dazed, dream-like states with huge smiles planted on their lips, as if they were fantasizing something to die for. And more often than not, they were.

 

In between wild rounds of shagging with his new conquests, Calcifex spent his time with Sidereus, wandering aimlessly through the crowds of the ongoing Morcimus Faire. He was still having trouble believing such a celebration lasted for three months. People were already falling down drunk in the streets. What would the state of the population be after several more weeks?

 

“It's always like this,” Lyli informed him one day as they lay side by side in her bed, stark nude except for the thin blanket draped up to their hips. The other family members were gone selling livestock, but Cal had convinced her to stay behind by pretending to be sick. He'd offered to take care of her, and here they were. “But this year is special,” she continued. “This year, at the end of the third month, the country is going to be getting a new king. Cerasus-dyn, he's the prince right now, and he's such a cutie… Anyway, he'll be seventeen toward the end of the Faire, and there will be a crowning ceremony on his birthday.” She paused to run her small, delicate hands over one of Calcifex's toned arms. “In fact, because of that, the queen and the prince are going to make special appearances throughout the entire celebration. They're making one tonight, I think. Papa wants to go see them and pay his respects to Flamma-regi.”

 

“She must be the queen, then, precious one?” Calcifex brought one of Lyli's fingers up to his lips and swirled his tongue around the tip.

 

“Mmm… yes… She isn't part of the royal family by blood… But when the king died, Cerasus-dyn was too young to take the throne… so she took over…”

 

That, in the wizard's opinion, was enough talking, and he rolled on top of the blonde girl and set about making her yell his name into the ceiling arches.

 

When Angor, Uena, and the other two daughters returned, Lyli had made a miraculous recovery.

 

“I just gave her a bit of a home remedy that my mother used to make,” Calcifex replied in answer to her father's questioning, and the matter was dropped. But whenever Cal glanced Uena's way, she looked at him suspiciously, and reminded him unpleasantly of an ugly baby that was about to throw up. With facial hair.

 

An early dinner was served that evening, and Angor made an announcement at its end. “Her Majesty, Flamma-regi, will be comin' around this way tonight, and we're goin' to see her.” He looked at Calcifex. “You're welcome to do as you please, but,” he turned his attention to his girls, “You're all comin' with me, no questions. Got it?”

 

“Yes, Papa,” all the females chimed, except for Uena, who grunted in assent.

 

“I do believe I'd like to see this queen as well, sir,” Calcifex confessed. “However, I'll go on my own. I'd like to take my time and walk through the crowds at my own pace.”

 

Denda and Lyli pouted slightly across the table from him, and Hanah hid her frown behind her napkin, but Angor just nodded.

 

In the loft after dinner, Sidereus and Cal lay on the bed and discussed their plans for the night.

 

“You think seeing the queen will be worth it, Calcifex?” the light spirit wanted to know.

 

“It might be. Either way, it gives me something to do, so I don't mind it.”

 

“Yeah, you're right. And I think we should get out of here after today, by the way.”

 

Calcifex turned to Sidereus with a question in his green irises. “Why's that?”

 

Sid's expression was grim. His eyebrows were turned up slightly and his mouth was set in a thin line. “I heard Lyli heaving her guts out this morning.”

 

“Ah,” said Cal, rubbing his brow. “That is a problem.”

 

“Definitely. I don't think Daddy Farm-Man and his brute of a wife would appreciate a grandchild from their oh-so-innocent house guest.”

 

“Probably not, eh?”

 

“You really should remember to cast those preventative charms before your cock takes control, you know?” Sidereus said, like someone commenting on the weather or the price of potatoes these days.

 

“Yes, yes, no need to revisit this lecture, Sid. But in my defense, it's rather difficult to place such a spell on a lady without catching her attention.” Calcifex began idly tracing patterns in the sheets under his left hand. He was bored, waiting for the sun to set so he could leave the house and have some well-deserved fun.

 

“We're leavin' now!” came Angor's sudden shout from the second-story stairwell. A giggly sounding Denda called up moments later, “Bye, bye, Calcifex!”

 

The wizard smirked in a completely arrogant way and hopped off the bed. “Goodbye,” he yelled down the steps. “I'll see you all back here tonight.”

 

There was the general ruckus of numerous feet stomping as they left the cottage, and then sweet silence.

 

“Finally,” Sidereus sighed. “We get the place to ourselves for a time.”

 

“Don't get to comfortable,” Calcifex advised, turning around to look at his friend. “We're leaving in less than an hour.”

 

“All right. Wake me up when it's time, would you? I want a nap.”

 

“Not a problem, Sid. Sleep well. Don't let the darkness spirits bite!” With a childish giggle, Cal went downstairs, ignoring the less than nice insults that Sidereus was throwing out after him.

 

In the living room, Calcifex decided he would take a peek outside to see what the condition of the streets was like. He was rather shocked to find that even in the narrow backstreets that Angor's house was located on, people were crowding all possible space. They seemed to be moving in a singular direction towards the main road. That was most likely where the queen was to be found, and all these citizens were surely out to see her. If this was the case, then surely Her Majesty was a great and beautiful woman. And if she was beautiful, Calcifex knew exactly where he wanted to be.

 

The sun set, and the wizard hurried to the loft to wake his companion. Sidereus' rays sputtered for several seconds before the spirit's eyes opened, and after he'd recovered from the disorientation of being jostled awake, the two left, one walking, and the other curled up inside the silver pocket watch.

 

The throng of people had dissipated somewhat; only the main street was very full anymore. A long line of anxious persons had formed, and at its end was a large black platform with two golden thrones atop it. From where he stood, Calcifex could just barely see the lone shadowy figure that adorned the bigger throne's cushion. The other seat, it seemed, was empty.

 

The queue moved slowly. Small children, undoubtedly being dragged along by their parents, were falling asleep from boredom and exhaustion, and had to be shaken every few minutes. Some people, impatient and tired, simply gave up on ever making it to their destination. They went home, grumbling under their breaths.

 

“This is taking far too long, Sidereus,” Cal complained quietly. To the casual passerby who might happen to look his way, it would seem that the wizard was mumbling to his shirt pocket. But he had probably been standing in line for a long time, and thus had gone a little mad, so anyone who witnessed his small amount of insanity just ignored it.

 

“I know. Isn't there anything you can do to speed things up?” the spirit whispered back, aware that it would not be wise for anyone besides Calcifex to hear his voice.

 

“I can't cast an invisibility spell when I'm so close to this many people. But I might be able to work a little magic anyway.”

 

Sid wasn't entirely sure what Cal was about to do, but he figured it couldn't make things any worse than waiting in this dreadful line for another few hours, so he kept quiet while Calcifex took action. He suddenly donned a worried look and started panicking.

 

“Please, please! Let me through!” he screeched in a high-pitched, frantic tone. “My baby, she's gotten away from me! She's up there, please! Let me through!”

 

Sidereus had to admit, it was a decent act for someone who didn't really have much in the way of human compassion, even if it was more of a feminine display than a masculine one. To anyone who didn't know him, which included the entire crowd, Calcifex looked for the whole world like a flustered parent. Sympathetic onlookers parted and let him through. He kept up the trick for quite some time, occasionally allowing a fabricated sob to escape his throat for good measure.

 

Ultimately, his antics earned him a place only fifty feet away from the stage that the queen sat upon. Compared to his spot some six hundred feet behind that, his new one was quite exceptional. He stopped shouting lies and moved about through the line a little so that he could blend back in. In moments, he'd been forgotten.

 

Calcifex took a moment to congratulate himself for a job superbly done, then set about surveying things from his new vantage point. He set his sights on the throne and its owner, and was quite pleasantly surprised. The woman in the chair was enchantingly beautiful. She reminded him very much of the Ice Queen from a fairy tale he'd read as a child.

 

“That's her, is it?” Sidereus asked.

 

“It would seem so. She's magnificent, isn't she?”

 

“You know what I think about humans, Cal. They're all ugly, and some more than others.”

 

“Except for me.”

 

“Of course. Because you're a beautiful princess, right?”

 

Calcifex laughed softly at the playful barb, causing his green eyes to light up like emeralds before a roaring fire. “Indeed.”

 

 

*******

 

Disclaimer: This story consists purely of fiction and is a product of the author's imagination. Any person/place/thing/event contained within that has any similarities to something or someone in real life is completely coincidental.

 

Constructive criticism is welcome.