Water Wizard Wander

Chapter 3

Sapphire followed close behind Connie, as Connie stormed away across the lawn. What did Sapphi plan to accomplish by following this downtrodden boy? Connie must be a lost cause because he had no hope! Yet Sapphi seemed to have enough hope for the two of them. He was just confused.

"Listen to me! I don't care that you're a water wizard wander. You could be a fire mage proper and I'd still be interested in you." There it was. Right out in the open.

"Interested in me?" Connie slowed enough that Sapphire was able to catch up and walk backward in front of him.

"Sure I am, but think nothing of it. What matters right now is I just want you to be happy."

Connie halted in his tracks. "And how am I supposed to do that hmm? The whole world is against me."

Sapphi put both hands on both Connie's shoulders. "I know it feels that way but if the whole world was against you would the world have sent you me?"

Connie thought about it a moment. Then he shrugged Sapphi off. "I suppose not. But why? What's so good about me? I just got fired from my job and you seem to have taken to me like a rabbit on a carrot."

"I...I think you're pretty." Sapphi blushed furiously then and stared down at the grass.

"Pretty?"

"I like the way your hair falls over your shoulders, I like the way your emerald eyes sparkle in the autumn sunlight."

"Okay enough!"

"But it isn't enough! I like so many things about you. I could list it all off right here and now, but the only thing that matters is that you feel good. Do you feel good?"

"I feel weird. Is weird good?"

"I suppose weird is better than sad or mad." Sapphi smiled at me.

"Then what do we do now?" He held up the acquittance, "The first line literally reads 'No job no joint.' Is it some sort of joke?"

Sapphi shook his head and grinned at Connie, "It's alliteration."

"Ah, I see." Connie had no idea what that word meant.

"The use of same sounding first letters in adjacent words."

"That clarifies it!" Connie gave a small smile, trying to feel better.

"And to answer your question about what we do next, we try to find you a job. I happen to have a friend in Carrington Proper that loves helping people like you."

"You seem to have a lot of friends."

"I'm a people person!" he winked and Connie followed him back to Buck.

"Do we have to ride the horse again?" Connie asked as Sapphi climbed up.

Sapphi held out a hand to his friend. "Come now, fire mage proper, it isn't so bad. Besides, we're in town. I'll go slow." That he did, that he did.

ooo

They came to Carrington Landing Proper, a small neighborhood of apartments stationed in a circle about each other. Sapphi tethered Buck to the sidewalk and they walked past a leary who was lighting the candle in one of the street lamps. A few of the others were already lit. They went up to a door past a small iron gate and Sapphi knocked, a short rap, then a quick burst then another short rap, in a pattern.

"Coming, coming!" the door was answered by a large man in a bathrobe. Connie felt suddenly uncomfortable.

"Who's this?" he asked.