Fred planned to spend the morning strolling around and sightseeing before the magic convention, but trouble found him almost immediately. As he passed by a café, an explosion erupted—the front door blown away in a fiery blast. Without hesitation, Fred sprang into action, using telekinesis to hold up the falling debris.
From the smoky entrance emerged a girl in a purple outfit, holding a bag of cupcakes. "Jeez, if all you wanted were cupcakes, I could've bought them for ya'. No need to make a scene," Fred remarked dryly, flicking his finger to restore the building as if nothing had happened. With another wave of his hand, he snatched the bag of cupcakes.
"Hey! That's mine!" Charmcaster yelled, her tone indignant.
Fred sighed, visibly unimpressed. "First it was Kevin, and now..." he grumbled as he walked up to her. "Oh yeah? If they're yours, then where's the receipt?"
"Receipt?! I don't need no receipt!" she snapped, reaching into her satchel. With a swift motion, she threw down small rock sculptures that instantly grew into imposing rock golems.
"Niceee! Now that I see them up close, I can tell you worked hard to make these," Fred commented, admiring the craftsmanship. The golems raised their fists and slammed them down, but as their blows landed, Fred's body dissolved into purple mist, re-materializing right next to her.
"What?!" Charmcaster gasped, her confidence shaken. "You—you're..."
"A mage. So?" Fred replied casually, waving his hand as a glowing magic circle filled with runes formed in the air. Charmcaster's golems froze, their movements halted.
"I'm still not paying for those," she muttered, her voice wavering as sweat trickled down her face.
"Don't worry, I won't harm you," Fred said, his tone surprisingly calm.
"Then what do you want?" Charmcaster asked warily, ready to bolt.
"Well, I could report you to the police for stealing..." Fred teased, noting her anxious grip on her satchel. "Or maybe we could hang out for a minute. I'd like to learn more about your golems—specifically the runes you used," he offered.
Charmcaster narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "And what's in it for me?"
"You saw how I used magic, right? We could exchange information. I can assure you I have a lot to offer," Fred said confidently.
Charmcaster stared at him as if he were trying to sell her a used car, her suspicion evident. Hesitantly, she agreed—but as soon as Fred turned toward the café, ready to step inside, she bolted, escaping as fast as she could.
"Well, it was worth a shot," Fred muttered to himself. He entered the café and, using his well-practiced memory magic, erased the recollection of the incident from everyone nearby. Satisfied the scene was handled, he took his time before heading back to the convention center.
"I managed to swipe that sword in the end. Now I wonder if I should swipe these charms of Bezel," Fred mused aloud, his thoughts running wild. "Then I could send them off to that place—or maybe I should hold off. I mean, a sword that can destroy a city in one swipe and magic charms that boost their wearers' abilities, granting access to various magic!"
Fred stepped into the rust bucket and called the group, confirming their location. "I'm back. Did I miss anything?" he asked, holding a paid-for bag of cupcakes this time.
"Is that..." Fred muttered, noticing Gwen's arm adorned with a bracelet that held a peculiar charm.
"Yeah, I managed to find another charm," Gwen said excitedly. "It made my magic twice as strong—not to mention my casting time..." She went on, brimming with enthusiasm.
Fred chuckled quietly, glad to see her so happy.
"Didn't you say you destroyed those?" Fred asked as he sat next to Gwen, placing the cupcakes on the table. Ben, who had been lounging with his arms crossed, straightened and grabbed one.
"I thought so too, but this appears to be a different one—a rare Keystone. It's rumored to increase the power and skills of its user by ten times. But I always thought it was just a legend," Gwen explained, her voice brimming with excitement.
"Well, it seems this legend isn't your run-of-the-mill folk tale," Max said, looking impressed.
"You are so lucky," Ben grumbled, trying his luck at jealousy.
"It's not luck. It's magic," Gwen replied smugly.
"A ton of it at that. This Bezel guy must've been some magician to make these charms so powerful," Fred added, chewing on a cupcake.
"Although he does leave behind a rather questionable legacy, given how careless he was," Fred remarked thoughtfully.
"Anyway, now that we've confirmed what this charm is, let's head back to the convention," Ben said, bursting with energy. "There's a show that's going to start really soon!" he urged, practically bouncing in place.
"What's gotten into him?" Max wondered aloud as they packed up and left.
The convention was more crowded than ever as the gang joined the audience for the contest of Magician of the Year. As the next performer took the stage, the air buzzed with anticipation.
"Now then! For my first trick, I'll need a volunteer!" the magician announced, his voice dramatic and inviting.
Without hesitation, Ben jumped up, eagerly volunteering as he hopped on stage. "I think I can guess where this is going," Max muttered under his breath, watching the performance unfold.
As the magician waved his hands to perform the trick, Ben transformed into Wildmutt and leaped out of the box. The magician froze in shock, while the audience erupted in excitement, thinking it was all part of the act. Trying to save face, the magician rolled with it, but his show was cut short when a glass panel above melted away.
Descending in a cloud of red smoke came Hex, accompanied by his niece, Charmcaster. Their arrival caused chaos as the crowd screamed and began fleeing the building.
"Hey, I'm not done! Wait your turn, man!" the magician complained, but Hex blasted him and Wildmutt off the stage, silencing him entirely.
"Why is he here?" Gwen exclaimed, panic and irritation flashing across her face.
"Well, where there's Bezel's charms, Hex will… Ah, forget it, I can't think of a rhyme," Fred said as he bolted forward, transforming into a humanoid dog with boxing gloves ready for action. Gwen followed quickly, transforming into her Lucky Girl outfit with a swift spell.
Fred landed on the stage alongside Gwen, who was just behind him. "Woah, how'd you change so fast?" Fred asked, noticing her transformation.
"Transformation spell," Gwen replied confidently.
"Nice, you're becoming a mage more and more," Fred said with a grin.
Hex smirked, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Well, would you look at that? Lucky Girl and my Keystone in one place. How convenient," he sneered.
Wildmutt pounced on Hex, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground. Hex grunted under the alien's weight, struggling to cast a spell. "Ch-Charmcaster! D-do something!" he yelled, his voice strained as he felt himself losing control.
"Yes, Uncle!" Charmcaster replied, reaching into her satchel. The satchel's enchanted mouth opened wide, releasing a barrage of glowing metal rings. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled them toward Ben, aiming to free her uncle. But Gwen, acting fast, muttered an incantation, summoning a wooden barrier. The wooden floor behind Ben rose up, shielding him just in time.
Not giving up, Charmcaster pulled out another ring, this time expanding it to a massive size. She hurled it toward the wall, aiming to create chaos, but Fred intercepted. Stepping into the path of the ring, he punched it mid-air, shattering it into smithereens with a single, precise strike.
Despite their efforts, Ben's momentary distraction gave Hex the opening he needed. With a flick of his fingers, Hex cast a powerful spell, sending Wildmutt flying off of him. The alien skidded across the stage, growling in frustration as he tried to regain his footing.
"You're more troublesome than I thought!" Hex snarled, getting to his feet and fixing his gaze on the Keystone that Gwen was wearing.
Join my Patreon to support my work and read chapter in advance patreon.com/Writing_when_bored