The sun burned bright and warm for it not being midday, bringing a smile to the young Halfling's face. Janessa enjoyed being outside on days like these. So many interesting and exciting people and events were more likely during then.
Poor Viola has no idea what she was missing, studying her spell book. The thought that Janessa had all but ordered her friend to stay behind to study didn't occur to her. Instead, Janessa enjoyed the air and the multitude of stands she passed, though she failed to notice a few of the despairing looks being sent her way. A Halfling simply wasn't something peddlers wanted to see.
The grounds were even more crowded than the day before; it looked like every living person in Hope decided to shop for trinkets. At least, that's how Galin chose to interpret things while he finalized a sale for a silver necklace he crafted during the last winter. He was rather proud of it. He took the design from an Elven structure he saw when he was younger, before Elves and Dwarves closed their borders to most outsiders. The Vergon Wars hadn't been pleasant, except for the few that made money forging weapons during that time. After the Dark Elf cleric Vergon was slain, the Elves became the scapegoat for the sins of a single cleric. Only the Dwarves remained reliable trading partners with them, creating an odd partnership, considering neither race truly liked the other.
The design was a large circle representing Pyrain with five smaller circles inside representing each of the five dominant races: humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Minotaur. The Minotaur and Halflings were his own addition since the Halflings were like rabbits and always underfoot, and the Minotaur controlled the large island chain off the eastern coast as well as a great deal of the mainland along the same shore. Galin had put countless hours into finishing it, as each piece was about half the size of the smallest ring he'd ever seen.
He was putting his gold into a lockbox when a familiar voice caught his attention. "Anything new today, Galin?"
It took Galin a moment to recognize the voice and spot the small head appearing to be mixed with his trinkets. He smiled while making sure her hands didn't grab anything they shouldn't. "Hello there, lass, have any luck with the fights?"
Janessa's face brightened. "Okay, I guess. We won four hundred gold pieces. But I don't have it with me; we put it in a safe place."
Galin chuckled. Leave it to a Halfling to behave like an innocent child with such things. But he knew better. "That's good; it's not wise to carry that much gold around here."
Janessa smiled. "I'm here to help a friend move, and I just wanted to say hi."
Galin watched her turn and walk away with a skip in her step before chuckling to himself and double checking everything was where it was supposed to be. It wasn't everyday a Halfling lost interest in various objects made of silver. He guessed something or someone must've made an impression on her. Most likely, it was Berek, if he remembered what her friend said the previous evening.
*****
The old mage wasn't standing, but he wasn't supported by anything he could detect. As was the case since he first entered the lair of the large red dragon to steal his treasure and power all those years before, Mern floated mere inches from the dragon's snout. Its fetid breath engulfed him each time the dragon exhaled. He focused his thoughts and everything began coming back to him. Each time was different from their first meeting. For the first time, he felt the weight of the smallish crystal orb in his right hand. The dragon orb confused him whenever he communicated with his master, like walking into a thick cloud with no sense of direction or landmarks to guide him.
For a moment, Mern hung there in front of the dragon, but it wasn't real, not in the physical sense. That's why the first time was so different. Then he'd been held by the dragon's magic where now it was his spectral form held by the dragon orb. The dragon's breath enveloped him, but he couldn't feel or smell it. In many ways, he thought it resembled death.
"Do not allow it to happen! You are mine and you will follow instructions. Understood, worm?" The voice boomed in Mern's head without mercy.
The old mage couldn't help but nod. He never understood how or why he did it, but since that fateful day so long ago, he could only obey as if he had no will of his own. How he'd obey was still up to him. In that, he found contentment over the last hundred years.
"Then leave me. Remember the punishment for failure, worm." The sound of the voice in Mern's head was punishing, but nothing compared to what would happen to him if he failed.
The feeling of floating left him as Mern was dragged back by hands caring little for his safety. He felt as though he'd been pulled through the fabric of time itself before a sudden, jarring shake caused his eyes to open violently.
For a moment, he couldn't move; each breath felt as though it was being taken for the first time. An unnamed fear held him in its embrace, not willing to let go. Finally, he dared to move his arm, against everything his mind and body told him, and was relieved the feeling of fear subsided. He took a deep breath to settle his shaken nerves before sitting straight in his seat.
"Had it been a dream?" Mern muttered to himself, although he already knew the answer. The same question always came from his lips, and always there was the same answer. He glanced at his right hand to see it holding a grapefruit-sized black orb. "As dark as your heart, Master." He smiled to himself. Things were in motion that the great and powerful Fyrelynx didn't like, or was it fear? Yes, he was certain the dragon was afraid, though he never planned to utter that opinion as it meant a most painful death at his master's summoning. No, he'd bide his time. Perhaps, his freedom and his master's destruction were nearly at hand. Though enslaved as the dragon's familiar, Mern's mind was still his own and his own power increased overnight. His plan was progressing along just as he had foreseen.
A knock on the tent post interrupted his thoughts. "Mern? Are you ready? I'm here to help you move." Janessa stuck her head in the tent to check on the mage.
Though shame wasn't an emotion the old mage often felt, Mern felt relief wash over him as he realized he wore his robes. His humility was forgotten at the sight of the Halfling. "Where's Viola?" He failed to keep the surprise out of his voice despite a good try. Thankfully, the Halfling didn't seem to notice. So much the better.
"She's studying her magic. I made her stay since she forgot to do so last night." Her eyes went to the large orb in his hand and widened at its sight. "That's a beautiful pearl. May I see it?"
When he first saw her expression at seeing the orb, Mern's grip tightened into a protective claw before realizing he had nothing to fear. Halflings seldom asked graciously for any object if they intended to steal it. Besides, it was protected against anyone else wishing to touch it without the power to use it. He smiled, secure in knowing it was safe. "I use this for a fortune telling act I'm working on. It's one of a kind. I don't allow anyone else to touch it." When the Halfling's face fell he chuckled. "But if you come closer, I will allow you to see the wonders inside."
Janessa's face brightened and she stepped forward, gazing into the orb. Her original mistrust of the mage was forgotten as she never saw anything as beautiful as the clouds and small stars floating below the glass surface. After a few moments, he placed a cloth over the orb, much to the Halfling's disappointment. "That's enough for now. Once I'm settled in Hope, you can come by to see it again. Have we a deal?"
Janessa nodded with a smile. "We already have a place picked out for you; it's next to where we're staying."
Mern smiled. Living next to, or with, a Halfling was a dubious proposition, but under the circumstances, it was ideal. "Excellent. I have everything packed." He picked up two small cases and placed them under his left arm before taking hold of a trunk by one end in his right. Janessa swore she didn't see him put the orb into a pocket or case, but it was still gone. "If you could take that small pack and help with this."
Janessa settled the pack onto her shoulders while helping with the trunk using both hands. She wondered if he packed rocks to make it so heavy. At least, they only needed to carry the items to a wagon just a few yards away that Mern thought ahead to rent from a fellow proprietor. He had planned on sending everything ahead so he could walk to Hope with the young mage, but now he felt it best for them both to ride alone. The idea thrilled Janessa, since she had only been able to ride in the back of wagons up to then. Pleased he was winning over the one he felt was his greatest threat, Mern smiled and laughed as he listened to her retelling of the pit fights and their adventures during the night. Janessa laughed as well at some of the memories.
She was finally able to make a tenuous peace with what she had to do. But for the life of her, she couldn't remember anything to laugh at. She assumed the mage's good nature was causing her to do so.
Mern settled into the driver's seat, smiling at Janessa as she climbed into the seat next to him. "Easy now. You'd think this was the first time you've ever ridden." He knew the truth by the way her eyes had flashed at the sight of the wagon. "It's not a long walk, but my things are heavy for these old bones. I hope you don't mind?" It amazed him at how easy it was at times. As he spoke to Janessa, he handed several pieces of silver to the wagon's owner with an additional gold piece for the man to remain and not make a spectacle. Mern was pleased to see the man took the hint and the money with no questions asked.
"Oh, I don't mind. I had an uncle like that once. He could hardly move about being only a hundred and fifty years old." Janessa's mood dimmed some at the memory. It was more of a story told to her when she was young from another traveling Halfling. She supposed it was true; there was nothing to prove otherwise. Janessa shrugged; it wasn't anyone she knew. "Are you going to the pit fights later today?"
Mern watched her with amusement. Halflings were always so active and full of energy. Shaking his head, he answered, "No, I'm afraid not. I have business to attend to this evening. But I do hope you enjoy yourself." The two continued talking until reaching the gates of Hope.
All the while, Janessa couldn't help wondering what it was about the old man that bothered her. She hated feelings like those. She preferred knowing what caused it instead of her intuition. She refused to acknowledge that her intuition kept her from harm on more than a few occasions.
Janessa preferred to blame it on Viola and, in jest, would accuse her friend of casting a spell on her since Halflings were well known to follow their instincts. She knew she was the exception to the rule, often displaying the traits she learned from her human foster parents. Careful people, they never did anything outlandish or remotely dangerous. Going to the market was the most exciting thing in their lives. As a result, Janessa was forced to walk the line between what she'd been taught was right and what her instincts told her was the right thing to do.
That was the problem she was having with her feelings towards Mern. Her Halfling blood was telling her not to trust the old mage, to run and flee from him as fast as she could. But her human family taught her to be polite, to not judge someone unless they deserved it. Thus far, Mern had always shown her respect and been kind to her. What to do? The tug of war inside her raged even as Sheriff Tavers stopped them at the entrance to Hope.
Sheriff Tavers saw her long before stopping the wagon with a raised hand. With an eye on Hope's most notorious thief, Tavers began his usual line of questioning of Mern. "What brings you to Hope, stranger?" Janessa would've spoken on behalf of her new friend, but Tavers raised a hand silencing her as soon as her mouth opened. "I know your business, Janessa."
Mern's face hid his chuckle by appearing friendly, if a bit concerned. "I'm a merchant in fine antiquities and rare objects, formerly of Renard's Company. I'm looking for a place to stay while I open my new business. My friend here has offered to show me around your fine city."
Sheriff Tavers listened to the old man as he studied every line on his face and hair on the old man's head. Tavers was careful to note the man's eyes shone bright, like a fierce fire not of their world burned within them. They held an intelligence he found unnerving and uncomfortable. Under normal circumstances, he would've let someone pass by then, but there was something more he felt compelled to know. "You bringing anything with you? Weapons, potions, anything dangerous?"
To Tavers' surprise the old man burst into laughter. "No, sorry, my boy, but I don't carry anything like that with me." Mern noticed the man glance at his few carry-on items in the back of the wagon and motioned towards them. "Nothing more than my personal affects; my merchandise will be coming once I've found a suitable shop. You may search them if you like; I have nothing to hide."
Tavers' eyes went from the old man's belongings to him. Realizing he hadn't been as covert as he thought, the sheriff smiled nonetheless. "No need for that. I hope you enjoy your stay here."
Mern smiled at the implied meaning. He didn't plan to stay long, just until he finished his appointed task. "Thank you, Sheriff, I'm sure I will." With a quick snap of the reins, the wagon began moving as the horses tried to get away from the hurtful slap to their backs.
Janessa watched the exchange in annoyance. Why did the sheriff always treat her like that? He never caught her doing anything wrong. Mischievous actions, sure, but that was all. Determined to have the final word, she turned in her seat and shouted back at the sheriff, "Have a good day, Sherriff! Don't worry about me, I'll stay out of trouble!" Happy with herself, Janessa sat back down smiling. "He's always like that."
As they continued along the narrow roads, Mern smiled, thinking, I wonder why. He remained busy watching the buildings as they passed them. The history of the city was written on every wall.
Author's Note: See you all next unday for the next chapter. :)