by Logan Jacobs
The fountains were jets of water that leapt around the park with occasional stops to sway slowly in a tall column or fly apart in a vortex of droplets. A pack of children followed the streams as they jumped from pad to pad, trying their hardest to get hit by the fountains. The kids laughed as they tried to guess where the water would travel next and celebrated whenever one of their number was doused by one of the sprays. Parents sat nearby, watching their children while they sipped cold drinks and chatted with the other parents.
An air mage soon joined the fun. She was very tall and rail-thin, and I wondered if she ever accidentally blew herself over. Her shoulder-length brown hair moved with the wind she created, turning her head into a weather vane of sorts. Her eyes were crowded with laugh lines, though, and she smiled and laughed with the children as they dodged among the fountains.
The mage created her own version of the water jets and soon both air and water bounded around the park. The kids were in full-on screaming mode as they ran between wind and water, and it only got louder each time someone got hit. A few of the adults without kids scowled at the pack, but most of the people seemed content to sit back and watch the youngsters run amok.
Merlin and I had finished our shaved ices, and I was eyeing a small bookstore I could see on the edge of the park when I noticed the air mage suddenly frown. She dropped her arms and stepped backwards with a puzzled look on her face.
I realized that there was still a column of air in the park. It stood in the middle of the kids, and it was slowly rotating in a clockwise direction. The kids looked entranced, but the mage had a worried expression on her face.
Some of the parents had picked up on the mage’s disquiet, and they were calling to their children and telling them to step away. A few quickly obeyed, but most stayed where they were, watching as the column suddenly picked up speed.
The pleasant breeze that had followed the column as it bounced around the park turned into a gale force wind that sent objects flying around the open space. One small girl was swept up in the wind and tossed across the park. The wind mage cried out in alarm and ran towards the small body while the rest of the children started screaming again, this time in fear.
I opened up my mana to find the source of this new wind. People started yelling and running, just like the children, making it harder for me to sift through the different manas that I could see. Bags and papers and even small fruits were caught up in the mini tornado, as well as harder objects like rocks and pine cones. Several of the kids were bleeding where they had been hit by a pebble tossed by the wind, and I saw one boy go down after being hit by a parasol.
Merlin squawked as he watched the destruction taking place. I was frantic myself as I tried to trace the trail of magic. The fountains were still bouncing in the park, and the magic that kept them going made it harder to spot what I wanted to see. But finally, just on the other side of the park, I saw a bald man covered in blue tattoos move his hand as he guided the air on its path of destruction.
And I nearly yelped out loud in surprise. His mana was blue. There was no attempt to hide what he was, at least not from other manipulators.
I shook off my astonishment and raised my own arm. I closed my fist over his mana, and I saw his look of glee turn to one of bewilderment as the tornado evaporated. I squeezed harder, and his eyes popped open as he struggled to catch his breath, but then he seized control of his own mana and pushed back hard against me.
I dropped my arm and leaned back against one of the trees. The sounds of children crying and parents calling frantically for help filled the air. The air mage still knelt by the young girl who had been flung across the park, her face streaked with tears. I wanted nothing more than to throw a fireball at the manipulator that had caused all this, but there were too many people here.
The manipulator was scanning the crowds now as well, and I could see the exact moment when he spotted my own blue mana. He gave me a malicious grin and raised his hand for a moment. A burst of wind exploded overhead, sending desperate citizens streaming towards every available escape route. The manipulator dissolved into the crowd as it rushed by him, and I lost the blue of his mana as he turned into a side street.
I wanted to follow him, but there were too many people in the way. There was also a large contingent of men and women in uniforms descending on the park, and I had no desire to hang around and explain what had happened, especially since I could see one woman looking at me as if she had just seen the devil crawl out from a sewer. She pointed at me and yelled something in Pars. The people around her turned to look at me, and two of the men started in my direction.
I snatched up by bag and joined the horde that was now moving out of the park. I stayed with the crowd until we were just outside the doors to the Petermore Frontier, and then I had to elbow my way to the sidewalk and eventually up the steps.
The clerk with the beaky nose stood just outside the door watching with a look of distaste at the crowd as it surged by. He was about to turn me away but he recognized me as one of Yvaine’s guests, and he pulled the door open instead.
“What happened?” he asked as he scowled at the people.
“Someone set a small tornado loose in the park,” I replied. “Some of the kids were hurt.”
“Probably one of those mages from the nomadic tribes,” the man sniffed. “They’re always causing problems.”
“This man was bald and had blue tattoos,” I said.
“Well, I don't know who that was,” the clerk assured me. “A foreigner of some sort then, no doubt.”
“No doubt,” I agreed as I walked into the hotel.
And yet the man had looked like a Persan, despite the tattoos. He had also clearly enjoyed the destruction he had caused. I wondered if he was one of Maderel’s secret manipulators, but I found that hard to believe. Maderel was a stickler for control, not just in magic, but in all aspects of life. I couldn’t imagine him accepting such a person as one of his students.
The lobby was quiet, despite the ruckus outside. A maid was cleaning one of the large mirrors, and a pair of ladona men stood near a window watching the crowd, but that was it. The only thing missing was the Muzak.
Despite the current serenity of the lobby, it was only a matter of time before the local authorities started investigating where the dark-haired stranger had gone. The people in the park would no doubt point them towards our street and possibly even our hotel. What I needed was a way to change my appearance quickly.
I climbed the stairs to the third floor, where I knew Lena had her room. I checked the numbers until I found three twelve and then knocked. Lena opened the door with a book in one hand and a large cinnamon stick in the other.
“Oh, hi, Gabriel,” she said cheerfully.
“Hi, yourself,” I replied. “Are you busy?”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “I was just working on my costume potion some more.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t watching the crowds outside,” I commented as she stepped back and invited me in.
“What crowds?” she asked as she closed the door and followed me back into the room.
I could understand her confusion. Despite the fact that her room overlooked the street, there wasn’t the faintest hint of crying or screaming to be heard. I walked over to one of the windows and pulled back the curtains. Lena looked outside and gasped.
“What happened?” she asked.
“There was a manipulator in a park not far from here,” I told her. “He created a small tornado that injured a lot of children.”
“Oh, that’s terrible,” Lena wailed as she watched the crowd. “I see quite a few people are injured. Maybe I should go help?”
“Maybe,” I said. “But I might need your help first.”
“Oh?” she asked as she stepped back from the window and looked at me.
“Let’s sit down,” I suggested.
Lena nodded and placed the book and the cinnamon stick on a small desk. I noticed a collection
of vials and small jars there as well, and a few things I couldn’t identify. Lena pulled me over to a small loveseat, and I sat down on the plump pink cushions while Merlin finally squirmed out from my bag and dropped to the floor.
I looked around the room while I gathered my thoughts and realized just how pink this space was. There was a large bed, painted pink with small white flowers, with a frilly pink bedspread. A pile of pink pillows sat atop the pink bedspread and spilled over the edge onto a pink shag carpet. There were pink walls, pink lampshades, pink paintings, a pink armoire, and even a life-sized pink statue of Yotria, the elven goddess of wealth, tucked into a corner.
“Your room is very… pink,” I commented. “Are they all like this?”
“Oh, goodness, no,” Lena said as she looked around the room. “This was supposed to be Lavinia’s room, but she made me change rooms with her. The other one was all purple and blue. It was quite soothing, but I do like this one. I was thinking I would make my hair pink to match.”
“Oh, well, but then how would we find you?” I asked. “You’d blend right in.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Lena replied as she contemplated the sheer volume of pink in the room.
“Though if you really want to color someone’s hair, you can do mine,” I said.
“Really?” she asked with a gleam in her eye.
“Just not in pink,” I quickly added. “I think some people in the park may have seen me using magic, and I’d rather not have to spend time explaining to the local authorities what really happened. Especially since there were two manipulators involved.”
“Well, I could lighten your hair,” she mused. “And I could give you a matching beard. That would help.”
“Don’t forget the eyebrows,” I said. “The eyebrows will have to match.”
“Naturally,” she agreed as she walked over to the pink desk. She hummed as she looked through her bottles and vials. Not satisfied with that collection, she picked up her pack and started sorting through the contents.
“What about Merlin?” she asked.
“What about him?” I replied. Merlin’s investigation of the various pillows came to an abrupt halt as he looked anxiously between the two of us.
“There can’t be that many people walking around with a black cat on their shoulders,” Lena pointed out as she started adding various powders into a vial. “I think I could turn his coat into a red tabby.”
“Well,” I hesitated as I took in the puca’s frantic look.
“Though I’ve never tested it on a puca before,” Lena admitted. “I’m not sure how it will react with his own magic.”
“Maybe he could just shift shapes,” I replied. “You know, be a small bird for a few days.”
Merlin chirped at that suggestion.
“But he’ll still be black,” Lena noted.
Merlin had that frantic look again.
“I’m sure he’ll be okay,” I insisted.
“Let me know if you change your mind,” Lena sighed. She added a blue liquid to her vial, and a small wisp of white smoke drifted up from the concoction. She nodded thoughtfully and added a sprinkle of some sort of dried leaf. At least, I hoped it was a dried leaf.
She shook the vial and when the last of the smoke had evaporated, she walked back to me.
“So what color is my hair going to be?” I asked as I stared at the red syrup.
“You’ll be a blond for the next few days,” Lena replied with a smile. “The beard should be there within the next two hours.”
“Maybe this isn’t really necessary,” I said as I sniffed at the vial. It reminded me of a full dumpster on a hot day.
“We will be leaving soon,” Lena agreed. “And there were a lot of people in the park, so it will be very hard for them to track you down.”
“Exactly,” I declared as I held the vial at arm’s length.
“Unless they decide to just pick up all dark-haired strangers and interrogate them,” she added.
“Would they do that?” I asked as I caught another whiff despite the distance from my nose. Yep, definitely ripe dumpster.
“It’s standard practice in many places,” Lena replied. “And they’ll check all the hotels, especially since they know they’re looking for a mage of some sort. You don’t expect to find mages in bad hotels.”
“Maybe we could switch hotels,” I mused.
“But it’s so nice here,” Lena sighed. “I even have a massage scheduled for this afternoon. And Maruk sent his clothes to be cleaned and ironed.”
“Fine,” I conceded. “But this better work.”
“It will,” Lena assured me. “Probably.”
“Are you sure you’re not just looking for a guinea pig?” I demanded suspiciously.
Lena gazed at me innocently. I could hear Merlin snuffling around under the bed now, apparently having decided that being out of sight might help preserve his own sleek black hide from similar treatment.
“Here goes,” I sighed. I pinched my nose and downed the contents as quickly as I could. The liquid was thick and tasted vaguely of gin and Vick’s Vaporub. I grimaced but somehow managed to keep it down.
Lena’s gaze was riveted on my hair and as more time passed without any noticeable change, a frown began to form on her lovely face. She tapped a finger against her lips and leaned in for a closer look. Merlin had ventured out from his spot under the bed and watched from a safe distance as well.
Nearly twenty minutes passed before I felt a tingling in my scalp. I started to reach up to scratch it, but Lena grabbed my hand shook her head. Her frown was gone now, and her eyes lit up with pleasure. Even Merlin chirped, though he seemed more confused than happy.
“Oh, how lovely!” Lena exclaimed.
“Um, is it blond?” I asked.
“Very much so,” Lena assured me.
She darted into the bathroom and returned with a small hand mirror. I sent up a quick prayer to Theira then risked a look. I was blond. Not just blond. Platinum.
“It worked,” I finally said as I took in my new hair. My eyebrows were blonde as well, though not quite as pale as the locks on top of my head. Best of all, nothing else seemed to have changed color.
“The beard takes a little longer since it has to grow in, but I think you’ll look nice with it,” Lena replied.
“You’re getting good at this hair coloring,” I said as I continued to study my profile. “Maybe you should start a hair salon as a side business.”
“Oh,” Lena blurted.
I looked up when she didn’t add anything else. Her eyes had taken on a faraway look, and I could see that her mind was working hard on something.
“I suppose I could use that little room at the back,” Lena mused. “We only use it for storage right now. Well, Maruk does. But once he finishes installing his new closets, he won’t need the space.”
“Oh, I wasn’t--” I stopped myself when I saw the happy look that lit up the elf’s face. “That is, I think that would be great, but I thought Maruk’s closets were already installed.”
“Those were the ones he originally added,” Lena explained. “He has more that he’s adding.”
“Where is he finding all the space for these closets?” I demanded.
“Yvaine found some mage-built, space-saving closets,” Lena replied. “Yvaine’s already promised to add one to my room.”
“Of course,” I sighed.
My chin was starting to itch, but I fought the urge to scratch it. Lena clapped her hands and leaned in close again.
“Oh, it’s starting already,” she cooed. “And they’re quite a lovely shade.”
“Um, the same shade, right?” I said.
“Absolutely,” she agreed with a nod. “Blond.”
“But the same shade of blond,” I persisted.
“Um, well, like your eyebrows,” she replied.
“Close enough,” I decided.
By the time I left Lena’s room to track down my own spacious quarters, I had a thick,
blond beard to go with my blond hair. Merlin kept sniffing at me, as if he wasn’t quite sure who I was.
I was very happy that I’d suffered through the contents of the vial when I stepped into the lobby. A man and a woman in uniform were at the desk, arguing with the clerk. I shooed Merlin into a spot under the stairs to wait for me, then stepped across the marble floor to collect my keys and any information that the two guards were willing to share.
“Yes?” the clerk said politely as I stepped up to the desk. Beak-nosed man was off duty, at least for a time, and a middle-aged woman with pigtails and a very round face was manning the desk instead.
“I checked in earlier, but my room wasn’t ready,” I replied. “I believe it should be now.
“Ah, yes, Mr. Vega,” the woman declared jovially. “Your bags have already been sent up to your room. I have your key just here.”
She ducked out of sight for a moment, then reappeared holding an oversized key ring with a single, small key.
“Thank you,” I sighed. “The city is wonderful, but I really need to just relax for a moment.”
“I understand,” the clerk commiserated. “Especially after all that excitement earlier.”
“Excitement?” I asked innocently.
“At the Dancing Waters Park,” the male officer explained. He was my height and had a ring of gray hair along the sides of his head. He sported a large bald patch on top which he tried to conceal with a bad comb over.
“I didn’t hear about that,” I said. “I just wandered around for a bit and then visited a bookstore.”
“I’ve assured the officers that our members would never engage in such behavior,” the clerk reassured me.
“I can’t imagine that they would,” I replied.
“Miss Spoza tells us that your group checked in early this morning,” the female officer interrupted as she glanced over a sheet of paper. “She also mentioned that your group didn’t have reservations.”
Miss Spoza blushed and played with the edge of her otherwise tidy jacket.
“Yes, that’s correct,” I replied with a shrug. “We traveled here from Maraz. We weren’t sure exactly when we would arrive, and to be honest, we didn’t know there was a Petermore Hotel here. We were just going to find a place to stay for the night but then Yvaine spotted the Petermore. And here we are.”