Jewel and the Mares of Fantasy [A Fantasy Novel]

C H A P T E R |1|

| The A U T H O R  Figures this is the Best Way to Start a Book |

The man in the stands watched the mare spin around the pole in the middle of the ring. The whip-master continued to drive her as the pole acted like a spindle and collected the rope, pulling the mare closer and closer to the ring's center. Soon, she'd be stuck to the pole, her neck protesting as she tried in fear to get away from the whip-master.

She was a mere four or five circles away from being stuck, when the mare suddenly stopped, her hooves driving into the sand. She snorted, tossed her head and spun on her heel. Now she was undoing the spindle, as if she knew what lay at the end of that pole. She ignored the whip-master, even as the crack of the bullwhip struck her flank. She was wheezing from the noose around her neck, but she didn't stop circling until she was suddenly free.

The man in the stands watched with interest, half expecting her to start the process over, but instead the mare turned again and charged the whip-master. The man was too slow and her body slammed into him, sending him flying, but still within her reach. She struck his head with a powerful hoof, then snorted and began circling the ring, never completed a circle before turning around to stamp her hooves in the soft sand and begin again.

The man in the stands, now stood and went to the auctioneer who was franticly trying to get someone brave enough to go in there, calm (or kill) the horse, and get the whip-master out before she decided to finish what she'd started.

The approaching man spoke what he wanted to the man giving orders.

"I'm sorry, sir." Said the auctioneer, "What is it you said?"

The man from the stage repeated what he wanted, in a voice so quiet that the auctioneer had to learn in close.

"You want her?!" The auctioneer pulled back with his exclamation, and glanced at the mare still claiming his ring. "Well... sir... that's not really a good choice. You did see what just happened."

The auctioneer obviously wasn't one for trying to show the good of a creature if, instead of reassuring the man from the stands, he tried to change his mind. Normally, it'd be the auctioneer trying to dump the horse on the next person with an empty hand.

The man from the stands nodded and pulled out the last amount that had been called for the mare before everyone had extracted their bids after the incident.

The auctioneer now seemed credible as he eyed the money. "Well, sir, I believe you now have yourself a fine horse."

The man from the stands smiled tightly, turned on his heel and prepared to figure out how to get the mare out of there without killing anyone else.

He was a man of magic, not emotions, meaning he couldn't calm the mare with thoughts, only touch.

But the girl running through the tent's flapping opening seemed to have another idea.

"Elohim!" She yelled. A blast of blue light burst from her palms and all the weak-minded creatures in the room dropped. He raised an eyebrow at the girl as he stood tall and collected. She barely paused to assess him and leapt the front fence down into the ring.

The mare jerked on her noose and pawed the ground, growing frustrated as she couldn't get to the girl that approached quickly, without a shred of worry for her wellbeing.

"Calm Elli," the girl whispered, holding out a steady hand. The mare pressed her nose to it. "No one is going to hurt you."

The promise was sure and strong. Bound by love and gentleness. The man leaned back on his heels, impressed and amused.