The Tale of Amaretto

Thirty-Ninth Grain

In Which Fleeing is the Only Option...

Amaretto continued to run behind her aunt, trying not to run into anyone. As when they first ran from Sharazad's guards, they needed to escape and not be caught. Amaretto heard a battle cry from behind her and there was a sudden whoosh beside her head as a long piece of steel rushed past her head. At that moment, Amaretto let out a shriek and then jerked away from the blade. Amaretto heard Katherine's voice ring out in a strange staccato and then Amaretto saw the blade shimmer in the middle of the air. The man wielding the blade said something in a guttural tone that she didn't understand and the blade turned into molten metal that melted off in large gobbets.

Katherine grabbed Amaretto by the arm and then yelled, "Don't stop moving! They could catch you!" Amaretto whirled and continued to run after her aunt. They ran into a small hallway where they ran into a servant who held a large platter with fruits on it. Katherine threw her hands out and upset the trey almost instantly and then rushed past. The servant screamed out in terror and then huddled at the side of the hall. Amaretto pushed her way past the clattering platter and continued running.

Katherine pushed her way past several other people and motioned to Amaretto. "The door is over there!"

Amaretto jerked her body towards the door that her aunt had pointed out and hurtled herself through it. The sun poured through the cracks of the streets and ignited her vision in a nimbus of brightness. Amaretto felt her arm being grabbed and then she was rushed into the streets. Amaretto heard the yelling from behind her as the men tried to get out of the house into the street. She darted a look at Katherine who pulled her down the main thoroughfare and towards an area that seemed to be covered in large tapestries and cloths to cover the street from the sun.

"We have to keep moving," yelled Katherine.

"What did you do to that one man's sword?" Amaretto felt breathless and her words puffed forth.

"It was a little bit of magic. I wasn't expecting it to answer so readily though. It just flowed from my lips!"

Amaretto felt a small bit of surprise. "You know magic? Why do I feel like I should have already known that?"

They ran past a stall where a man was hawking his wares. The smell of fresh bread from a large bakery was floating past and Amaretto felt her mouth water. As they rushed past it, Amaretto could fell her stomach gurgle. She hadn't eaten since that strange tea session with Tempus. She could feel herself growing more ravenous with each second. There was a moment where Amaretto felt the sudden urge to pull out of her aunt's grasp, and attack the closest cart, but she knew that if she did that, she would more than likely be in more trouble than when she was in what she now liked to think of as "Alternate Britain".

They continued to wander through the bazaar and Amaretto was surprised by the amount of stuff that she saw. She couldn't help but listen to what the people were saying as they ran past.

"Fresh dates! Fresh figs! Fresh fruit! You want them I've got them!"

"Jewels from the other side of the sands! Precious gems and stones!"

"Come see the silks that I have here, the finest silks in all of Pesok!"

"Spices! Spices! Your freshest spices as seen all over the land!"

Amaretto was amazed at the stuff that she saw in the market. It was almost overwhelming. It was better than any of the malls that she had ever been to in her own world. She marveled at the colors and the people that swirled around them.

"Where exactly are we going?" Amaretto spoke with a breathless tone.

Katherine frowned and then said, "We are going to hide. Fist however, we have to find Tempus."