Bartimaeus

I wasn't sure on how to respond. I've spent years hiding my grief in fits of anger and rage. I've licked my wounds as I killed every magician I could get my hands on. I've buried away every happy memory I've had with him. I wanted to let him go. Ever part of my essence yearned to be free from this pain. To forget it all. But his name never left my lips. His presence still burned with life. I still carried his face wherever I went. I saw him in everything and everyone. I could feel him every time I stretched my wings and the light gust of wind ruffled my feather. I could hear him in the soothing pitter-patter of rain as it hit the concrete. I could see him in the young girl, Kitty, with her fierce determination to make things right. I could see him in Nathaniel. My Nathaniel.

The minotaur shifted. He raised a clawed hand and rubbed his snout.

"I've opened up to you, Bartimaeus. I would like to hear about this person whose form you wear."

I scoffed. It wasn't his tone that bothered me. He was respectable enough in his own way, I suppose. No, it was his entitlement. His entitlement to something completely personal. To something that I've spent years closing myself off to. Centuries that were spent to not remember. A millennium.

I changed my form to a winged Sumerian. An old form I once favored in my youth.

"I don't want to talk about this."

The djinn snorted. "What? I've told you of my great love. You must repay that."

I inspected my feathers. "Says who? Who says that the form I had was anything?"

"So he was no one?"

"He was no one."

The words felt reprehensible on my lips. Evidently, the minotaur could sense my discomfort. His thick brows furrowed as he peered into the Sphere. I rolled my eyes and gave him the finger.

"It would be great if you respected other's privacy, ya' know?" I sneered.

This was now a problem. As long as he's watching me, I can't leave the Sphere just yet. The perfect opportunity to escape is when his back is turned against me. With him watching my every move, he could snatch me before I even completed my pounce. I need him to look away.

"Now, Bartimaeus. That's not very nice of you. I've told you about –"

"I didn't fucking ask for it, dude." I interjected, staring daggers. "You went on some random ass rant and I was just unfortunate enough to hear it because, get this, I'm stuck inside this thing."

"Was his name Ptolemy? Sounds Egyptian enough. It matches the form."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose and sighed loudly. "Listen, can you just stop? I'm not interested in having a conversation with you anymore. You had to ruin it."

The minotaur blinked. After a few moments, he nodded silently as if he understood the situation. He straightened his back and looked around the room. He paused for a moment and grunted. Before I knew it, he reached out and grabbed the nearest crate. To my great annoyance, he tossed the crate a few feet from where I sat and plopped himself down on top of it. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling.

"Are you seriously going to sit and watch me for the next hour or so?"

With an elbow on a knee and his great big head leaning against the palm of his claw, he grunted approvingly. I could feel him trying to search for any kind of weakness into my essence with his prodding eyes.

This clearly wasn't going to go exactly how I wanted. I casually glanced at the gap in the lattice work of the Sphere. It was weak. I could easily squeeze through without a problem. But I'd need a different strategy to shake this guy off. It was a wonder the fool hadn't spotted it yet. But I'm not one to insult others intelligence if the lack of it gives me an advantage, right? I should be kissing the feet of the higher beings that hastily scrambled his IQ during his creation.

"Get your master. I'm bored already and I could do with a good dip in silver."

To prove my point, I gave my Sumerian form some swimming trunks. They were blue, if you must know. They complemented the skin tone.

He laughed, shaking his head in an incredulous manner. "Are you that suicidal? Highly doubt that, Bartimaeus."

"What if I talked shit about your – uh - Pudding, was it? Would you get him then?"

His brows knotted together, tightening his gruesome face. His upper lip curled revealing his fangs.

"I'd think twice about that."

I blew out my cheeks. "Guess I have no choice though, right?"

"One word and you will be dead."

Looking at him, I could tell he was very upset with me. His eyes glowed a nasty yellow underneath the dark heavy brows. Saliva were beginning to drip from his fangs as steam escaped through his nostril. Even with his hunched over state, I could still see his muscles tensing with restraint. He's too strong for me to take on a one on one battle with. I glanced at his right arm. He was struggling.

Here's the deal. Ideally, I would make him upset enough that he would stomp his hooved feet all the way to his master. It'd be a perfect plan to escape quietly and have a direct route to Abraham and my Nathaniel. But a quick look at his state, it seemed it wasn't going to go that way. One more word from me, and he's going to smash the Sphere. The compromised Sphere will give out, and boom: there goes my sneaky plan. If I wait for Abraham, my chances of escape will go down exponentially.

I tapped my fingers against my leg and weighed my options. Guess I have no other choice.

"She probably deserved it."

His right fist swung; I pounced and squeezed through the gap. Landing among the crates, the sound of glass shattering erupted behind me. I didn't wait to get a good look; I casted a Detonation, blowing up the only door. In a matter of seconds, I slipped out and was running along a dark hallway. Behind me, a roar followed by blasts and explosion could be heard.

"BARTIMAEUS!"

I glanced over my shoulder and dodged; a Detonation whizzed past me. I threw one back, merely missing him. Ahead of me, the hallway split into two. I took the right and stayed close along the wall, evading his next attack by inches. The walls shook with the impact. Small bits of stone and dust showered behind me. It was too dark to make out exactly what was ahead of me. Every once in awhile, our Detonation gave us enough light to avoid collision with random furniture that decorated the grim hallway. I took an abrupt left turn into another hallway and crashed into a pure silver decorative knight statue. Wincing, I stumbled back onto my feet. A flash of light flew over my head, singing a few strands of my dark curls. I threw a Spasm over my shoulder without looking; thunderous hooves sounded close behind me. I couldn't help it; I looked back. There he was, claws smoking, slipping and scrabbling among the scattered pieces of walls that he'd blown apart. Another flash; I plunged down onto the ground evading the attack. With the brief second of light, I spotted, just a little ahead, a large wooden beam on the ceiling supporting the structure of the building. How much did it support? Well, it was time to find out.

Scrambling back to my feet, I raised a hand; a Detonation blasted the wooden beam. I stretched my wings for extra speed, and jumped. Pieces of wood and stone came crashing down. I twisted sideways, slipping right underneath the demolition. I spun aside, and casted another blast towards the crumbling hallway.

The minotaur was much faster than I thought. Just as the walls closed down upon him, pinning him down, a blast erupted from his claws. A burst of pain burned up my leg. My balance went; I went crumpling down onto the ground hard. Even with the building collapsing onto him, the minotaur continued to fight. A claw came out among the debris, scrambling its way out.

"Fuck, dude." I called, picking myself up with difficulty. My leg was immobilized.

"Bartimaeus – I will kill you myself." The minotaur's outraged whisper was muffled underneath the debris.

I didn't wait to find out how. I continued running, limping down the hallway. This was the hard part; finding my way out. Right, time to retrace my steps. I left the Sphere, went through the door, down the hall and took a right. After much running, I took left. I can't go back to where I just came from. Ahead is all that I have. To my right, the hallway opened up, revealing steep stairs. If I'm in the basement, then going up is the best way to go.

I heard a crash behind me; I don't have much time. I stomped up the stairs, ignoring the pain in my leg. A casted a small flame in the palm of hand to give me light. It flickered weakly, fighting against the humid air. At the top of the stairs, I paused. Left or right.

I listened carefully, stilling my breathing. Right below me, more crashing. Somehow, I knew my little trap wouldn't last long. The minotaur was gaining on me in distance. If he goes up the steps, I'm going into the right direction. An idea struck me. Snuffing out my flame, I changed my form into a small bat and hid into the darkest corner of the hallway's ceiling and waited.

The minotaur stormed up the stairs, leaving behind a trail of dust and debris and hooved prints. At the top of the steps, he paused, craning his neck this way and that. I shrunk back into the shadows, desperately hoping. After a moment, he growled and set himself off, taking a right turn. I let out a quiet breath. Time to follow him.

I fluttered a few meters behind him, taking great care to stick in the shadows. His impatience and rage had completely taken over him. He could have easily spotted me if he just took the time to think about his plan. But like I said earlier, I should be thanking whoever made this fool an idiot. This way and that, up the stairs and another left turn. I followed close behind, watching his every movement. Every once in awhile, he would pause and listen. Then he would sprint towards his destination as I struggled to follow close behind. Just as I was beginning to worry that he was taking us around in circles, he finally paused in front of a door. He clenched his fist, and took a deep breath. His rage was suddenly gone. He resembled a mewling kitten. Insults would have to wait, though. In the shadows, I waited.

He raised a claw and hesitated. Licking his lips, he gingerly knocked on the door.

A voice called out. Abraham's voice.

"What is it now? Open the door yourself. I'm busy with this wretched boy."

With great care, the minotaur opened the door, keeping his eyes on the floor. I tensed my muscles. Wretched boy. That was my wretched boy. Nathaniel is close. I crept closer, trying to get a peek of the room beyond the door.

"Bartimaeus has escaped."

"WHAT!?"

Abraham's words filled the room, his rage echoing. My bat ears shivered; the minotaur took a step back and bowed.

"I'll find him master," he replied, his voice quivering in fear.

I heard the magician scream in fury. Then I heard a thump and a yelp. Nathaniel.

During moments like this, I don't really think. It's not often when I lose my cool in such a way. In fact, it's only happened to me a couple of times during my lifetime. All my collected pent-up rage and frustration culminating into one big messy blob within me. I don't think; I just act. From within the shadows, the small black bat was replaced with a leather-winged, hissing four-legged serpent. I plunged through the door frame, slipping right past the minotaur's grasp, and lunged at the magician with all my might. I made sure every ounce of venom I had in me dripped from my fangs.