MELISSE AIRES : Excerpt from Bridal Faire

Excerpt from
Bridal Faire

( Fixed formatting, grr!)

“What magicks are you taking, Adler?” Little Piper, the youngest student, a snow faun with thick white hair cut into a bowl shape popular for little boys, was lying on Adler’s bed. He bounced a conjured ball with his hooves as Adler packed. His goat legs were thin and fragile and his alabaster horns nubs barely showed through his thick platinum waves. He stuck around Adler in his free time, since some older boys teased him for his tiny size.

“Not much. Master Shoji gave me a couple of his illusion cones, in case I need something longterm, for hiding if there are thieves on the road. Plus, they’re small and easy to carry.” He held up a small pouch decorated in magical symbols. “A compass, though I probably don’t need it, I’ll follow the roads.

“Oh, and my wallet has a heat spell on it, so pickpockets will get burned. Also, Lofting Elixir. With the roads so muddy I'll get an airboat and loft it back here. Otherwise, it'll take a month to get back here by cart. Unless I find a flier bride.”

“Not much chance of that, since you can’t marry a griffintaur. There might be those flying centaur girls.”

“Master Shoji said no centaur girls, we don’t have housing for one.”

“Too bad. They always have such big—” Piper gestured above his skinny chest.

Adler gave Piper a look.

“No love charms? Don’t you need a love charm?” Harl interrupted. He was a golden horsetail faun, with a flowing golden tail, and dark gold hair streaked with wheat pulled back in another tail. He had hard, dark brown tilted eyes with long black lashes and winged brows. He was handsome, selfish, clever, and in the same year as Adler. Harl knew much more about women than any of the other students at school.

Harl gave Adler a sly look. “How are you going to get a wife without a charm?”

“Yes, do you think some girl will just up and decide to be your wife? You need some help.” Pondo, a Lesser Giant from the north, nodded, his eyes round. Pondo had the advantage of looking stupid, with his bulging round eyes and double chin, but he was sharp and manipulative. He was the oldest apprentice, graduating soon, but he was staying an extra year to work on mastering jewel enchantments.

Harl and Pondo always stuck together and were not Adler’s favorite people. Lucky for Adler, Master Shoji had made him Head Apprentice, which gave him an edge.

“I’m not charming some girl into being my wife. It is unethical,” Adler growled.

Piper rolled his eyes. “What else you taking?”

“Oh, water purifier drops, some stomach calm. Some of Mistress Shoji’s ground pepper mix in case the food there tastes funny.”

“No protection charms?”

“No, they take too long to make, and I want to sleep tonight.”

“Pretty soon you’ll be sleeping in the tower,” Harl said with a knowing grin. “Or not sleeping.”

“Please leave,” Adler frowned at the older boys.

“Hey, while he’s gone, let’s work on a transparent wall spell,” Harl said, getting off his bed.

“Oh, yes. That would be just the thing,” Pondo agreed as they left. “Though I doubt he’ll get a girl worth looking at.”

“True. But at least she will be a girl.” They clomped down the stairs.

Adler sighed.

“Don’t worry about that spell, Adler. I’m superb at messing things up. They’ll make me fetch stuff. I’ll contaminate it. That work for you?” Piper bounced his conjured ball up to the ceiling.

“Thanks, Piper. You are an honorable friend.”

“Are you going to bring back a pretty one? I hope she is pretty. I hope she bakes honey cakes.”

“Well, we’ll see what I can find.”

“Too bad I’m not going with you. I would be a big help to pick out a nice one. I have many sisters, you know. None of them are old enough to marry you, though. Redberry won’t be seventeen until July. Too bad.” The little faun vanished his toy and jumped off the bed. “Well, I best be off to mess up the transparent wall spell.”

Piper tapped away to find the older boys.