“If you weren’t inside one of my favorite hats right now, I would drown you.”

“Every hat you own is your favorite hat.”

“I have very good taste in hats. The same can’t be said for familiars.” She got out of the water, grabbed a towel she had brought and started to dry herself.

In the end, she used up spells to dry her hair.

Yawning, she looked outside the cave at the moon, mentally parting the sky, trying to figure out how late it was. It was around 2am.

“I have to wake up at five to leave with the fisherman…” She muttered with pity, resigned to drown herself in coffee in a few hours. But now, she could still go back and take a short rest.

…

It was dark, making it almost impossible to see in front of her. It was devoid of sound, not letting her listen to her own breath. It was scentless and, even if she could see the blood on the altar, no metallic smell went to her nose. It was empty, and yet he was here.

Recognizing the place, she knew she was dreaming.

She looked to the altar. Chained in pitch black chains to the nothingness that surrounded both of them, laid the shackled man. Always bleeding from the places in his body where the chains were drilled, he made no acknowledgement of her presence. Velvet walked towards him, but, no matter how much she walked, she never got any closer.

“You know? I’m going to the Mergifari.” No sound could be heard, even when she felt her vocal cords vibrating. Even then, he made no motion of having heard her.

“I’ll pass by Dodon, I’ve read that they sell exquisite hats there. I was thinking of buying some, but they cost four auris each.”

“I could buy one, but I still need all the money I can get, sooo…” She rambled on and on. After all, there was nothing else to do.

He didn’t speak or look at Velvet. Her whole dream was just staying there next to him at the bottom of the abyss. If she didn’t see his chest move slowly, she would’ve presumed him dead.

That’s all her dream was about, she didn’t lie to Madam Dorna when she said she didn’t know anything.

After all, here, nothing could be seen, nothing could be heard, and nothing could be smelled.

…

“Good morning Velvet!” A sharp pain erupted from her stomach. “Morning, morning, MORNING!”

“Celia!” She answered, smiling at her while showing her teeth. Kids really are dead set on revenge, aren’t they?

“Don’t you have to rise up early today?” Celia, the newly appointed boss, was sitting on her stomach, a smug grin on her face.

“Ugh…” Not an early riser, Velvet remained motionless on the bed. “Bring me a coffee.” Knowing that Celia would probably drop it in her face, she raised, pushing the kid off her and onto the floor. “No, no, forget it.”

“Couger is waiting for you outside.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Right. Couger did work for the fisherwoman, helping her with the tasks that needed muscle. Velvet didn’t want to make him late, so she went to the shared bathroom to get ready, leaving her suitcase with Celia in the room.

Since she had to travel in a boat, she dressed up in brown linen pants, with a white simple shirt, the boots that Madam Dorna gifted her and the hat with Hyde inside.

When she was almost finished, a scream came from there, and Velvet laughed. Going back to her room, smoke of various colors was coming out of it.

“My, somebody got caught red handed~.” Mocking Celia’s appearance, Velvet grabbed her suitcase and started leaving, whistling in the most annoying way she could. “Anyway, I’m late, byeee.”

“Wait, waaait!” The poor thief, covered in paint of multiple colors, went after her. “Velvet you ass-! At least take the paint off!” Feeling wronged and ignored, she threatened. “I’ll tell Madam Dorna and Sister Erin!”

“Sigh, fineeeee.” Dragging the last word, she gave an innocent, well meant, cute smile. “That spell is called A thirty good deeds” she made a pause, letting that sink. “If you want the paint gone, you need to do thirty good deeds.” She headpatted Celia. “I’m sure you will be an amazing boss. Because…” She leaned over to Celia’s eye level. “Every bad deed will take you back three good ones. Don’t worry, they will never be more than thirty at the same time.” Giving her one last headpat, and ignoring her shocked face, she turned and left towards the orphanage exit, suitcase in hand.

“Velvet!” She heard cursing behind her. “I swear I will learn magic someday, and I will give you a rat’s tail! And donkey ears! And, and…!”

Celia’s voice lost strength the more Velvet got away. In the end, she gave up, kicked the floor and went back to bed. She wasn’t the one that had to pick a ship, after all.

Couger was waiting at the exit, fidgeting with an anxious expression. He screeched and jumped when Velvet suddenly jumped at him from behind.

“Stop screaming, it’s just me.”

Recovering from the fright, Couger opened his mouth like a fish.

“I- You… Velvet! We’re going late, cmon!” He grabbed her arm, tugging her along.

“Really? I didn’t hear no bell.” The town had a belltower to tell the passage of time, which had yet to sound. Still, that didn’t mean they had the time to dilly dally.

“Five minutes left.” Couger was used to waking up and going to the harbor every day, so he had almost developed an inner clock towards his job.

That was Velvet’s theory.

“Oh…” Letting herself be dragged, Velvet picked up her pace. “That’s bad, the road takes longer than that.”

“That’s why we have to run!”

“Yes, you’re right… Unless.”

Feeling a chill run through his spine, Couger tried to play deaf. But then Velvet just kept walking in silence without adding anything else, he started having some inner argument. The fear of magic in one hand, the curiosity of it in the other.

Curiosity killed the cat, but hell be damned, that cat probably died smiling.

“Unless?” Turning his face to see Velvet, he almost started crying when a big, happy smile welcomed him.

“Soooo,” She started, grabbing his arm. Couger fighted the instinct to flee. “There’s this new spell that Hyde taught me that I’ve been wanting to try… Oh, try to hold your breath.” He did so almost instantaneously, then he felt his surroundings blurring, the trees and rocks that filled the path becoming less and less defined, as if everything went underwater.

Then, dragging him along, Velvet took a step.

His surroundings started moving, along with them. Even though they were walking, the trees they passed moved as if they were running. Around a minute and half later, Velvet stopped, making the surroundings back to normal.

Taking a breath to recover from the dizziness, Couger massaged his temples. “Why did you stop? I can hold three minutes underwater.” He felt Velvet flinch, realizing they stopped because she couldn't maintain that spell too long. Coughing a bit, he apologized. “S-Still! We’re halfway done, we can walk the remaining path!”

“I’ll take a minute or two to recuperate, then we will do it again.” They kept walking, no longer pressed by the time.

Velvet started calculating. She assumed that the spell could be maintained for three minutes, with the condition of her being alone. Carrying someone did decrease the duration by a third, which was a significant loss.

Still, knowing her limits was good, since that would allow her to plan beforehand in case trouble came to her.