Chapter 31: Close Call
A few hours had passed before Marenzo and Alura had found shelter, returning to get her parents. To her joy they were still decent. The pair led the reunited couple to the abandoned farmhouse they had located. It did show it hadn’t been lived in for some years but it was sturdy enough to work. Unfortunately there was no edible food inside so after discussing who should risk going to get food, Marenzo volunteered. He used a spell to bring him a black cloak which he promptly snatched, put on and accepted some money from Alura for the food before taking his leave while drawing the hood up.
Later Marenzo would enter the town, keeping his head angled down to ensure the hood kept his face hard to see. Passing people who spoke to guards as well to each other about the escaped convict, he listened to hear some people whisper their worries that innocent people with their families will be accused, and then arrested due to assumption that they were helping the escapee or the traitors.
He entered the marketplace and began to examine some fruits at the nearest stand of a farmer who appeared to specialize in citrus types. He picked out a few ripe pieces, paid, and then took the bag with him as he went to the next stand to catch his eye. He proceeded to purchase some apples, bread, carrots, and lastly was looking at some dried meats. The sound of heavy steps caught his ear and out of the corner of his eye saw the gleam of armor having come to a nearby stall, the soldier tapping a woman on the shoulder. She looked to the man and saw the notice which had sketched artwork of the three along with Sophia.
“Ma’am, have you seen any of these four people?” he asked sternly.
“Um,” she looked at the paper for a minute before shaking her head quickly, swallowing to contain her fear of false accusation. “N-n-no sir, I’m very sorry.” She answered with a very swift curtsy and a bow of her head.
“Thank you ma’am, keep an eye out for them. They are believed to be dangerous.” He warned and she gave another brisk nod before taking her leave, wishing to maintain her freedom which she rightfully deserved to keep.
The footsteps of the soldier as he went to question another person neared closer to Marenzo, causing his shoulders to stiffen and his breath to become stuck in his throat. “Um…are you alright sir?” the broad merchant questioned the wizard with concern due to the sudden pause with one hand out like he was going to make a choice, yet he had yet to make it.
Damn. Marenzo thought as he shifted his eyes upwards and retracted his hand after the word ‘sir?’ entered to make its way through its ears. “I’ll take six of those and two of those.” He stated while indicating to two different wraps with his withdrawing hand.
“Good choices. That will be 600 Relu.” The merchant said as he bagged the order while Marenzo pulled out the pouch, counting out the coins to pay. He froze as the last coin clicked into his palm with the others.
“Sir, I have a question for you when you are done.” Marenzo paid the merchant, took the bag and stepped to the side before glancing to the paper shown to him by the guard. “Have you seen anyone fitting these illustrations?” the wizard shook his head silently, holding his tongue and keeping his head down. He had no idea how long his spell had been starting to fade after their interactions with Trilo. “Alright, keep an eye open for them. It’s been reported they are dangerous.”
Marenzo nodded silently and stepped back once then twice before turning to step away. The guard showed the notice to the merchant who eyed the images before looking towards the walking away wizard. He nodded and pointed Marenzo out, explaining he saw a glimpse of his eyes and how the young man had ‘froze up’ when the woman was questioned. When the sound of the armored footsteps began to follow after the wizard, the adrenalin flowing began to quicken with his pace. Damn it, damn it, damn it! He thought quickly in a rushed tone.
His heart was racing and pounding in his ears as he started to move into a run. The guard followed suit, yelling for him to halt. Marenzo felt his palms sweating as well as droplets slipping down his brow from the heat being retained by the cloak, which brought him to rethink his color choice, and the fear of being caught. Two more guards followed the first through the marketplace after the young man. Marenzo tried to focus his mind to teleport or something to get out of there fast, but with panic brought hazy thoughts and he didn’t want to wind up somewhere unplanned. He also did not wish to wind up in some other form, as there had been rumors that was a side effect of an unfocused warping found out by those joking around with that type of magic as if it were some toy.
Suddenly, just as he thought he was going to be captured, he gasped sharply upon feeling someone grab then jerk him into the shadows of an alleyway by his arm. He tried to voice his protest but another arm snaked around his, pinning his arms at his sides as the hand on his arm released, placing itself so the hand covered his mouth. This muffled his protest as he was pulled back deeper into the darkness. He thought about biting the slender fingered hand that silenced him but, after looking up to see the guards run past, he thought against it.
He shifted his eyes to try and see who had him but was denied this by the hood of his cloak. Turning his eyes down to look at the hand he noted the feminine looking fingers and deduced, also thanks to something soft pushing into his back, his possible rescuer was female. She stepped back a couple more steps, her heels softly clicking on the cobblestones. When they stopped Marenzo started to pull against her, the jerking caused the bags to slip off his wrists with soft thumps. He stopped when she tightened her grip around his midsection and he started to feel an icy cold on one arm where her hand was resting.
“You scream or run and I’ll take you down where you stand.” She whispered in a sharpened tone with some nobility here and there. “I could have allowed you to be taken by those guards but I was kind. Make me not wish to retract my kindness.” Her warning was stern and he nodded in hopes she would release him. Slowly she slipped her hand off his mouth then slipped her arm off his midsection.
He didn’t dare to turn around to look at the face of this woman who had such an ice cold aura about her. His heart started to slow back to normal as did his breathing which allowed for his mind to once more form coherent thoughts. He knelt down and began to pick up the bags before retrieving the fallen food, stepping in his crouched form to get the rounder fruits that had rolled away. “What’s your name?” she questioned as she folded her arms in her long sleeved shirt, her emerald green eyes set elegantly on his form.
He didn’t answer that question in case she worked for the crown. His silence brought a frown to her red lips. “Going to tell me where you came from?” still he refused to answer her and refused to raise his eyes from the ground, continuing to finish picking up the food. She released a heavy sigh, unfolding her arms and pushed some loose red strains out of her face. “Idiot,” she insulted with a huff, “I saved you and yet you fear me still of being an enemy.” Her green orbs closed as she turned her back to him, letting her red ponytail whip around and come to rest in its hanging position. “Funny fool,” she commented as she took one step then stopped.
“In a few minutes I’ll draw their attention and you can leave. Do you understand, wizard?” she questioned without turning to glance at him but felt him turn his eyes to look at her back. He took in her fit form and slim waist as well as how well she held herself with a sure confidence.
“Um…yes,” he answered quietly, feeling small in her presents.
“Good, now don’t waste this.” She instructed before stepping then moved into a run, turning left down a joint alleyway and she was gone. He waited a few moments before slowly standing up with the groceries.
Who in the world was that? Marenzo thought, looking over to his frosty arm area of his cloak. Hearing shouts become more distant he decided now would be the time to leave. Pulling out the pouch he had nabbed himself after their departure from Zento’s castle, he pulled out three silver rings, two thick and one thin. Slipping them on he put away the pouch then began to adjust the rings. “Alrighty, time to get back and ask them if they know anyone that can use ice magic.” He told himself under his breath.
Closing his eyes he charged his spell then vanished, teleporting himself outside the city then once more to get closer to the farmhouse. Once close enough he twisted the ring so the crack was down and out of sight, then he continued onward to get back and deliver the food.
When Marenzo later entered the farmhouse, Nate looked up to see him push back his hood. He sat a table as Alura was stretched out on the sofa. Sophia was nowhere to be seen as she had gone to bed in one of the three bedrooms. “Did it go well?” the demon asked even though he figured by the wizards drawn expression that things hadn’t gone so smoothly.1063Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfArRa3zoI
Marenzo sighed heavily, “You don’t want to know.” He made his way over to the table, sitting down in a chair as he dropped the bags on the table. “I was almost caught and I got questioned by a guard.” He stood as he removed the cloak with his eyes closing. “I was saved by some red haired girl. Before you ask,” he sat down with the cloak draped behind him, “she didn’t say her name and I didn’t see her face.”1063Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVW9wdTGX3
“Then…was she human, demon or what?” Alura asked as she sat up on the sofa, pulling her legs close to her chest.1063Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSm2inD3HBH
“I don’t know what she was. I guess human but she could have been a demon.” He opened his eyes to look at the teen. “She was able to use ice magic and had a chilly aura about her.” He explained which brought both the raven demons to place it along the lines of simply good luck.1063Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IZyJXnIls
“Well we have food that is the main part.” Nate took the bags and began to put the food away. He was proud of the cleaning job he and his daughter had done while Marenzo was gone.1063Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡph7nUfoR1P
“Hey, throw me something.” Alura called to Nate and he responded with tossing over an apple which was happily caught, then gleefully chomped upon.
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