The Wizard Killer - Season Two

Episode 5

I stagger backwards and open my eyes, squinting. Looking about, I find I'm standing in the blue tent. The oner's swords are in my hands, dripping yellow goo. That yellow stuff's all over the place, along with chunks of things going purple. What happened here?

Wiping my face with my forearm, I draw a big breath and try to think. Not surprisingly, my head's a foggy mess but I don't give up.

I remember blacking out by the trunks... but standing as that happened. Glancing down again, I confirm that I am indeed holding the swords.

But there... there was a red thing... wasn't there? Maybe it was a weird dream. And since when did I start sleepwalking, never mind sleep-killing invisible monsters?

I get a good grip on the handles of the serrated blades and wait for something to happen, but nothing does. Glancing up at the late afternoon sun, I decide it's time to check out the trunks.

Twice I trip on something and jump, expecting it to attack, but instead I notice yellow oozing out of it. Did I really do all of this?

I put the swords down and pick up my mana-pistol, tucking it into the back of my pants.

With a quick look around to satisfy my paranoia, I give the first travel trunk a shove. It's got a good heft to it.

The second trunk rocks too easily. Pulling out my pistol, I peer around it. I see that one of its dark wooden sides has been broken through. That must have been where its lock was.

Was someone trying to get in, or was something trying to get out? A shiver runs down my spine.

Hmm... a thought occurs to me, and I flip the switch on the bottom of my pistol then open the handle. "Three standard bullets."

I narrow my eyes. "I already knew that, didn't I?" I close it back up and flip it back to working off my mana.

I crack my neck and fingers. "Time to give up your secrets," I say to the trunks.

Bouncing around first, to try and get some adrenaline flowing, I wind up and give the light trunk a solid kick, sending it end over end.

"Come on!" I yell at it, my pistol pointed and ready. Creeping around to the broken opening, I peer in from a yard away.

Putting my pistol on the ground, I grab hold of the trunk with one hand and lift it up so the sun shines on it. There's a shiny cup and plate and a small roll of blue fabric at the far end. That's it. No monsters or severed heads. I'm almost disappointed.

Turning to the other one, my eyes focus on its sturdy looking lock. "Oh, think you're a challenge, do you?"

I whack it hard with the hilt of the sword.

"Yig me!" I yell, dropping the sword and massaging my hand. "Mother of Mercy that's some nasty vibration."

Giving the lock a closer look, I'm certain it's not magical like the trunk I'd found once before. But still, that was pretty stupid of me not to check. I must still be all hopped up on excitement from all this killing I don't remember doing. I need to calm down and think more. If there had been a magical trap on this, it could have blown me to pieces.

After considering a few different ideas, I shake my head as I come back to the only one that's likely to work.

I pick up the sword and give the lock another solid whack. A third hit breaks a piece of it off that nearly takes out my eye, but the lock's done.

"Nice try at a counter attack there. Better luck next life."

I make my way to the side of the trunk and open it. If there's a conventional trap, I don't want to get shot in the face or hit by poison darts in the throat or something.