The Demons of Rome

V - The Beggar Mage

Iatus woke up several hours later, on the side of the road. Thankfully it was a side road, rather than the main street so not too many people noticed him or trod on him as they went along. He blinked a few times then sat up, groaning at the cramps in his stomach.

"And the mighty Iatus arises!" called the spitefully cheerful voice of Aelith from behind him, "Here, I got you some bread, thought you might need it after a decade without a meal."

Iatus turned around and snatched up the loaf of bread, biting into it ravenously.

"That's a weird old bird ya got there sonny."

Iatus looked up, beyond Aelith to see that a man wearing nothing but a large sack was sat looking at him from atop a wooden crate. The man was filthy enough to make his skin colour indeterminable and he was dishevelled enough to bring out the maternal side of a mother rat. His eyebrows were also huge, they would have met except one was permanently stuck about an inch higher up his forehead the other, giving him a puzzled, crazed look, like he had seen things so shocking that his face had been permanently marked.

"I ain't seen nothing like tha' in all me days. An' I seen some stuff that would curl ya toes, that I 'ave. It done a neat trick with that bread, couldn't you have it rustle me up something?"

Iatus didn't really know how to respond so he turned back to Aelith, slightly unnerved.

He swallowed the last of the bread and asked, "Why are we on the street?"

"Well, after you stormed out we were attacked by no less than an entire legion of specially trained anti-mage soldiers who overpowered us, you only escaped because I heroically elected to stay behind and hold them off while you escaped."

Iatus rubbed his head and groaned, "You helped them didn't you?"

"Yep. They knocked you out and tossed you to the curb like last week's trash. On the upside none of them cut you open, so no big explosions."

Iatus sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

"Also it turns out that you are no longer gainfully employed by the province of Judea, which makes you the only beggar mage in the history of... well ever."

"Well we always knew I was exceptional in every way, might as well add another first to the list," he said resigned and stood up.

Aelith rolled his eyes and flapped up to his shoulder.

It was well into the night now and only a few people roamed the streets.

"So... you're the expert at living on the rough side, what do we do now?"

Iatus bit his lip, "Well, I suppose we could take over the city..."

Aelith started to laugh then saw that Iatus wasn't joking.

"Yeah, let's try and think of something that isn't suicidal, or maniacal..."

Iatus just shrugged, making Aelith scrabble to keep upright.

"Ya could always stay with me, ain't had company for a while," the man said, tilting his head to one side and scrunching up his nose.

"Umm, no thanks," Iatus replied carefully.

"Well, suit yourself, but I tell ya' streets ain't no place for a young boy at night, you stay with Farsi, Farsi look after you."

"Thanks, but I think we can handle ourselves."

"You say that," Aelith mused, "But just looking at the last few days, I don't think even I could argue that case."

Iatus sighed andd walked away from the crazy old man.