The Mask Maker Read Online Free Page B

supposed to have practice for the festival."
    "Well, that'll be fun. I mean, you're getting to practice magic," he said.
     "It's not as fun as you might think. There are rules for everything," I said, standing up. "Plus, some of the people I train with are just awful."
    "The donkey?" He asked. I nodded. "Well, I hope you have fun, at least. I'll be here, working." He seemed a little down.
    I paused, unsure if I should suggest what I was thinking. "Maybe I could stop by afterwards? If you'd be alright with that."
    "I would love it if you stopped by."
    Walking out of the shop, I noted that I had never seen him that happy.
    The same could not be said for me as I made it to the field. I was running late and everyone was already assembled on the finished stage. It was a massive wooden structure with red curtains adorning the sides. I made my way to the stairs, slipping my cloak on, and taking my place with the other guys. Fortunately, Perry was not there yet.
    "Look who decided to show up." It was Pat. Again. He was never quiet.
    "Where have you been?" A smaller boy named Nip asked.
    I shook my head. "Don't worry about it."
    "Oh, we shouldn't worry about it? That's funny, because I heard that you went back to the freak's shop this morning. Actually, I might have seen that with my own eyes. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you two were in love," Pat said, a twisted smile on his face.
    "Why don't you shut up, Pat?" I was starting to get angry. So what if I had been talking with Alexander? I liked him.
    "So it's true then. Luk and the freak."
    Had Pat said anything else, I feared I might not have been able to control myself, but then I heard Perry lumbering up the steps and I calmed down.
    "Morning, boys. Alright, let's get this practice over with so we can all go home and get out of this heat," he said, pulling his robes around in a fanning motion and pacing in front of us.
    "Can we have dueling practice?" I asked, my eyes locked on Pat.
    There were strict rules about how magic could be used. One such rule stated that no one was allowed to use it to inflict harm upon another individual. Duels, though, were not prohibited as long as two or more people agreed to it and no one died. Of course, if someone died, they can't be held accountable and hardly anyone ever died anyway.
    "Erm, are you sure about that, Luk? We haven't had those in a long while." Perry fidgeted as he spoke. "Besides, I don't feel like it's something that would come up on your graduation exam, if you know what I mean."
    "I'm absolutely positive. I'd like to challenge Pat," I said and watched the color drain from Pat's face. "Unless, of course, he's too scared to go up against me."
    Nip spoke up. "He's not scared. Pat can take on anyone, especially a freak lover."
    Perry grumbled. "Alright, how about it then, Pat? But you two know the risks associated. I'm not going to be held responsible because of this."
    "I'm willing," Pat said, though he didn't sound at all confident.
    "Boys, step back. Have to give them some room. Don't want to get hit by a runaway spell."
    The group dissolved, leaving only Pat and myself facing each other. We each took several steps backward, leaving a good deal of space between us. My mind briefly trickled over any sort of dueling magic that I could remember. Perry was a good teacher, but he hadn't been keen on teaching us how to duel. I was going to need some luck to win.
    "Everyone knows the rules, I'm sure. You will wait until my signal. When the signal is given, you can hit each other with as many jinxes, hexes, and curses as you can possibly think of until one person admits defeat. And remember, if anyone should hit the other after surrender, that person will be immediately declared the loser." Perry said the last part directly to Pat. "Do you all understand?"
    Pat and I nodded.
    "Right, then. I think that about does it when it comes to rules. Magic at the ready. One. Two. Three!" Perry's yell was almost lost amongst the cheers