by Bill Mays
“Missed that minor little detail, did you?” Tark grunted.
“A few hundred yards, we traveled a lot further than that!” The sage balked. “We’re nowhere near the spot where you cast the spell.”
“Exactly, that’s why I’m a little confused. It also states the spell works best if the caster can picture the final destination clearly in his head. That was an oversight on my part, but with that fairy babbling in my ear nonstop it was difficult to concentrate on anything, including my reading,” Ado griped.
“Speaking of the fairy, where is she?” Tark muttered as he took a seat on the soft grass next to the tree. He felt like their current wanderings were getting them nowhere. This was but one more setback for him to endure. “I told her to be back here before dark!”
“Relax, dear,” Herrin tried to calm the big man. “The sun hasn’t set just yet.”
“I think I might know what happened,” Ado squeaked. Herrin and Tark looked to the gremlin for an answer, though they were surprised to see that he cared where Nivit was. “Not with the fairy, but with the spell,” he clarified.
“Well?” Tark grunted. “Spit it out already!”
“I blame it on the artifact. That glowing rock you constantly cradle mucked up my casting. I think it might have boosted the power of my magic, thereby enhancing the normally limited range of the spell.” Ado was quite sure of himself. “It’s the only possibility I can think of that makes sense.” Tark scowled as if to say that were a lame excuse.
“So what exactly would that mean to us if it were true?” Herrin asked.
“It all depends on two things. First, did it want to go to Talwen, and second how much of a boost did it give us?” The little mage sat in deep thought.
“Did it want to go to Talwen?” Herrin questioned. “You mean you think the gem has a will of its own?”
“Most likely,” Ado squeaked. “It’s a powerful artifact of the old world, you said it yourself. Many magical items develop their own wills, especially powerful ones. Some of those wills are just a lot more present than others are. These are simply the basics of magic study.” The tremlin acted as if everyone should already know that much.
“Unfortunately, he’s right, it does,” Tark whispered quietly.
“What was that?” Herrin asked.
“The gem, it does have a will of its own. I can feel it pulsing like a heart. I don’t know how I know, but this stone is alive.”
Tark slid his hand beneath his jerkin and wrapped his fingers around the cool stone hanging there. Its pulsing waves rolled up his arm comfortingly. The gladiator’s mood had done a sudden flip-flop. Instead of explosive and volatile, he was now withdrawn and subdued. The change was drastic and unexpected.
The gremlin studied the seated man suspiciously. “What happened? Weren’t you just screaming at me?” Ado asked casually. “I had heard that pregnant human women were apt to shift moods quickly, but you seem to be the master of that technique. Are you sure you aren’t pregnant?” The gremlin giggled.
“Quiet Ado!” Herrin scolded. “I’m sure carrying around something of such great power isn’t an easy task, even for one as strong as Tark.”
“Thank you for understanding, Herrin,” Tark whispered as he drew his knees up to his chest and held them tightly with his thick arms. He then rested his head on them. His hair was loosed from its binding; it fell about his face and shoulders like a dark veil.
Ado and Herrin exchanged worried glances. The gremlin shook his head slowly from side to side. He was certain the big oaf was finally losing his mind. Nothing like traveling the countryside with an ex-slave crazy human that is being chased by half of the world, he thought to himself.
“How do I get myself into these situations?” Ado mumbled under his breath.
“Is there a way to figure out where the spell might have sent us?” Herrin persisted.
“Yep, we keep on walking until we recognize something,” the little mage grinned. “I suggest we head in the same direction that the spell dumped us as we have been, just in case it did like the idea of Talwen.
“There is a camp of humans, right over that hillock,” Nivit chirped out of nowhere as she flitted down amongst them. Her sudden cheery announcement startled Ado something terrible. He absolutely hated being sneaked up on. He resisted the urge to target her with his magic. ”The fields are so beautiful, with so many flowers. You should fly with me next time, Mr. Ado,” the tiny girl grinned.
“I’ll pass,” Ado smirked.
“Nivit dear, the camp you saw, could we make it there by foot?” The sage wanted desperately to know where they were. A camp of travelers would surely know their location. She was not too keen on the whole being lost in a warring land situation.
Tark stayed huddled and quiet, his face hidden from sight. The big man seemed not to care about the conversation at all. He never even bothered to look up when Nivit arrived.
“Yes, you could walk there and it probably wouldn’t take you that long either,” the fairy chirped.
“How many of them are there, and what do they look like?” Ado squeaked suspiciously. “You’re not leading us to a band of thieves are you? Are you sure they’re human?”
“Yes, I’m sure. They aren’t thieves either; at least, I don’t think they are. They look like regular people; and their leader is a man like Thunaren was, a holy man, only his robes are white not all of those pretty colors. There are probably about twenty humans in the camp.” The girl seemed to notice Tark for the first time since arriving. “Are you alright, Mr. Tark? You don’t look well. Is there anything I can do to help?” Nivit landed in the grass next to the huddled man.
Tark raised his head from his knees slowly. “I don’t think there is anything anyone can do, little one, but I appreciate the offer just the same,” he smiled in a subdued manner.
“I have an idea!” The girl beamed as she flitted to within inches of the big man’s face. Nivit leaned forward and kissed Tark gently on the forehead. “There, that should help, for a while anyway,” she smiled.
There was a tiny speck of glittering light left where she had kissed the man in the middle of his forehead. From the light grew a shimmering bubble filled with swirling smoke. It began to swell right off of his head. Tark seemed in a daze as the transparent bubble continued to grow until it was the size of his entire skull. Finally, it pulled free, absorbing the speck of light in the process. The smoke-filled bubble drifted up into the sky slowly until it was gone from sight.
“Wow! That was the biggest one I’ve ever seen!” Nivit squealed excitedly as she watched the bubble drift away.
The gladiator appeared stunned for a moment. He simply rocked slightly from side to side. Tark seemed to come back to his senses slowly, but this time he was no longer sullen. His lips were plastered with a silly grin.
“What the hell did she do to him?” Ado gawked.
“It’s a sun fairy’s special power. It was a worry bubble. It pulls all the worries from a troubled mind and allows the person to rest and relax a bit,” the tiny girl giggled proudly.
“It is a most wonderful experience, but be aware that the bubble will eventually pop and the worries will return,” Herrin explained. “I would suggest we make the most of your reprieve and start walking.”
Tark sat for a moment and then chuckled to himself, “I feel amazing! Thank you, Nivit!” The big man sprang to his feet and did a little dance. He looked ridiculous. “This is incredible! You are right, Herrin, let’s get moving before those people get away. I can’t wait to meet them and to get to Talwen. I’ve never been to a magic city before.” Something suddenly distracted the big man. He took two steps and plucked a flower from the ground. The small purple buds covered the hillside. “I hadn’t really noticed how beautiful these were before,” he grinned and sniffed it deeply. “They smell nice, too.”
“By the gods, she went and sucked him stupid!” Ado squeaked in shock. Tark cast the gremlin a glare that instantly faded to a big goofy smile
.
“No,” Herrin laughed, “He is fine. Actually, he’s better than fine. He hasn’t a worry in the world.”
“That sounds terrible!” Ado gasped. “Without worries how would one keep themselves safe from danger? That sounds like some kind of fairy trick to me.” He glared at Nivit.
“It’s supposed to be good for the soul,” Nivit assured the gremlin. “It gives a troubled mind a break to rest and recuperate. Mr. Tark looked like he could use a break.”
“You just keep your brain sucking lips away from me, remember that!” He squeaked with conviction.
“If that’s what you want, Mr. Ado,” the girl smiled, “Besides, you have nothing to fear. A sun fairy can only perform the kiss once in great while. Most humans call it the sun fairy gift. I like that name,” she giggled.
“Whatever!” Ado rolled his eyes. “Some gift that is. Let’s just hurry up and figure out where we are already.”
The gladiator scooped up his belongings, tied back his hair, and was ready to go. The sage also gathered her things. Tark did not wait. He went bouncing away with a grin on his face. Herrin and Nivit were quickly at his sides. Ado packed his stolen book into his magical pouch and followed at a safe distance scanning the horizon for signs of trouble. With the gladiator skipping around with his fairy-sucked brain, the mage did not want to take any chances. Someone had to look out for danger.
The small group reached the top of a steep hill looking down into a deep valley. There was a fire burning below, which immediately confirmed the fairy’s information. It was obviously a fairly large campsite. Horses were tethered to a pair of nearby trees, a wagon cart sat unattended, and singing could be heard drifting up from the fireside.
“That looks like a nice place to be, doesn’t it?” Tark grinned. Before anyone had even responded, the big man went sprinting down the grassy slope to join in the festivities. He released a loud laugh as he went.
“That does sound like fun!” Nivit cheered as she flitted along at his side.
“Perhaps the worry bubble is best reserved for those who are not wandering the countryside of a land at war,” Herrin noted. “I wonder if I was like that.”
“You see! It’s just a fairy trick to make him as dumb as she is,” Ado squeaked in annoyance. “That’s all we need, two idiots that stumble about without looking where they’re going.”
“Now, now, Ado,” Herrin scolded as she worked her way carefully down the slope, “You know as well as I do that Tark needed a break from his troubles. The poor boy was ready to have a nervous breakdown. And, as far as Nivit is concerned, she is not an idiot! She is a pure and innocent fey creature.”
“Yea, yea, everybody always thinks fey beings are such sweet and innocent creatures. I don’t buy the act. No one is that naïve, not even a sun fairy,” the little man huffed as he began the spell to turn himself invisible. He quickly faded from sight. “What about the dryad? She’s a fey creature and she is definitely not innocent! Oh, and those pixies, are they sweet and pure? Nope, they’re sneaky, just like sprites! Then there are elves, many different kinds of elves, and gnomes. Some of them are worse than demons. Don’t even get me started on leprechauns. Not a gremlin alive can compare to the tricks and troubles those creatures wreak on everyone! Common gremlins are on the dumber side, I’ll admit that much, but tremlins in particular have just gotten the short end of the stick!” The tremlin’s whispered grumblings followed the woman all the way down to the base of the hill. Herrin resisted the urge to mention that most sages considered gremlins to be part of the fey family as well.
Tark had already entered the camp, and Nivit was busy introducing herself to everyone present. “You see!” Herrin chided, “Sometimes it’s alright to just let go and enjoy yourself.”
A man’s strong hand grabbed the woman from behind. Her startled scream and Ado’s screech were in synch. The camp guard practically dragged the old woman to the others.
“Your lordship!” He called out to the eager group now gathered around the gladiator and fairy. “I found this one skulking about in the darkness,” the camp guard announced.
“Oh, it’s just Herrin,” Nivit explained immediately.
“She is with us,” Tark clarified with a grin.
The leader of the traveling group, the robed priest, stepped forward to face the gladiator. “This woman is part of your party?” He asked calmly. The man was obviously raised around the upper crust and had a very charming persona. Tark liked him instantly.
“Yes, yes she is,” Tark affirmed.
The average-sized man in white robes tossed his long, straight, russet hair to the side with a jerk of his head. “Release the woman,” he ordered his guardsman. The young man holding Herrin quickly complied. “Are there any more of you?” The robed priest asked in a friendly, steady tone. His smile was gentle and his eyes comforting.
“No,” Herrin volunteered quickly, “just the three of us. My old bones just take a little longer to catch up. That hill is pretty steep,” she smiled.
“Very well, then you will be our guests, man, woman, and fairy.” The friendly priest lingered on the word fairy.
Tark and Nivit looked to Herrin with curious glances, but they did not call her on the lie. Herrin was not sure why, but she did not trust this longhaired priest. Something about him was just too smooth and welcoming to be authentic. “Who might we thank for our hospitality?” Herrin smiled.
“We are the Order of Four, and I am the head priest here. My name is Malark,” The man smiled back warmly. “Come, we were just about to sing another prayer to our gods before we eat. The food is freshly prepared. Won’t you join us?” Herrin pondered that name, the Order of Four, where had she heard that recently.
“We’d be honored,” Tark grinned. “Thank you for the offer, Malark.”
“I love to sing!” Nivit cheered.
Herrin followed cautiously as Malark led them to the fire. She was not familiar with the order. The sage looked about the camp to glean anything she could from her surroundings. They were moving too quickly for her to spot anything that might help her place these people as friend or foe. Everyone formed a ring around the flames, holding hands. Only the white-robed priest and the companions were not included in the circle. The four stood just inside the human ring nearer the warming fire where sweet-smelling meat roasted on a spit. Nivit sat on Tark’s shoulder in anticipation of the festivities. The big man was already bouncing from foot to foot joyfully.
“Feel free to join in when you become comfortable,” Malark offered. “The words to the song are simple enough.”
The priest led the chanting song and everyone fell in, joining as a single voice. “Come oh come to us! Hear our calls! Masters from beyond, masters of all!”
Over and over, they chanted the same words. Tark and Nivit joined in quickly, only Herrin felt awkward about the bizarre event. That did not sound like any prayer she had ever heard before. She was beginning to think that Ado might have been right about the worry bubble being a bad thing. The usually careful, even suspicious, gladiator was completely at ease and unconcerned with any of the oddities surrounding him. Something was not right here. What had they stumbled into? These people seemed more like a cult of fanatics than a religious pilgrimage. Their eyes were almost glazed over as they sang the strange prayer to the sky. As the voices grew louder, Malark began to mumble different words of his own. Herrin watched in horror as Tark and Nivit slumped to the ground. She felt an unnatural need for sleep seeping into her consciousness. The sage tried to stumble away from the robed man but the circle of worshippers would not let her through. Malark kept in step with the old woman. As her knees buckled beneath her, she saw the man pull forth a silvery medallion from his robes. The marking on the holy symbol was the last thing she could see as she lost her grip on the events around her and tumbled into the realm of dreams. The symbol on the medallion consisted of a long bluish arm ending in a hand with four misshapen fingers.
* * * * * * * * * *
&nb
sp; Ado had to double back to the camp after Herrin had not joined him in a reasonable amount of time. The man who stepped from the shadows and grabbed the woman startled him so badly it took a few solid minutes of fleeing for his life before he realized no one was chasing him.
“What’s the big idea of sneaking up on people anyway?” He griped as he made his way around for a better view. “What kind of a welcome is that?” He heard voices rise in song and crept closer.
Some sort of celebration occupied the camp. The gathered people seemed to be cheering and praising something. Ado could smell the scent of roasted meat wafting on the breeze. His stomach growled. Hopefully, they had not started eating yet. He wondered if they might have some potatoes and gravy to go with that meat. Roasted meat and potatoes smothered in gravy sounded like a good meal right about now. He remained invisible and darted into the camp. Finally, he could see what was so important. The sight proved less than inspiring. He watched as these strange people bound and gagged his comatose friends. They even managed tiny bindings for the six-inch tall fairy. They then placed her in a small locked box, chanting the whole time. Ado had to fight his initial instinct to flee and save himself. His friends needed him.
“I knew we shouldn’t trust them,” Ado mumbled to himself. “A tremlin is always a good judge of trouble. Why doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?”
Strangely enough, the white-robed man seemed content with keeping his captives alive and with him on his journey. The gremlin could only imagine what these people had planned for his helpless friends. Maybe they were slave traders, or worse. There were rumors of humans who enjoyed eating other humans – how barbaric! How was he ever going to get them out of this mess? It was going to take some time to figure this one out, he realized after some thought on the matter.
“Looks like I’ll just have to tag along until I come up with something,” he giggled under his breath. “Serves them right for ignoring my warnings!” He clasped his fingers together and extended his little arms cracking his knuckles as he scanned the busy campsite. He spotted a small cart tethered near a pair of horses and several packs of gear bundled up to load into the cart. “They don’t know what they’re asking for, letting a bored tremlin into their midst. I’ve been dying to get involved with the public again,” he grinned mischievously. ”It’s been way too long since I had a little fun.”
