By Julia Akre
Welcome to the world where myth and fantasy become one! Fallow the interior monolog of a wise old wizard’s familiar owl as he watched his master and his friends get tricked out of their money.
The day is bright, and it seems the time has come. My Master and his friends have traveled together for many years. They were bound to fall into some dark times.
Some members have come and gone but him, the Magnificent Magness to whom I have sworn my long owl life to, the Silver Tonged Singer, Tristen Argot, Selina Gledral, a Hand Maiden to the Healing Goddess Marilla, and finally, the last to join and the last who will leave, Grindle Hornglove, a beefy man who has crushed the skulls of his enemies and loyal to a fault. his core band of heroes have lived, fought, been on the birack of death together for 2 decades now. Their party is legendary, many high nobles, kings and queens from all over seek their aid when times are disastrous. They have been dubbed the name The United Front.
The parties last escapades was the assassination of a mighty dragon! A century ago the Kingdom Sinklin had mined too far into the one of their mighty mountains. Unknowingly awaking a mythically forgotten beast.
The Cave Dragon. A no wing, salamander of epic proportions and terrifying strength. The king of the land, over the course of that century has dispatched approximately half his army to deal with the monster. But no one had been able to vanquish the foe. Many kingdoms and knights have tried to give aid to Sinklin, but the proud king would not hear of it.
Tell one day, his eldest son came of age to join the forces to fight the Cave Dragon. Going against his father’s wishes the young prince and his band of noble knights went out to the mountain where the Dragon spent his days.
It did not like daylight, the only weakness the century of battling was able to gleam from the monster.
The prince traveled accrues his land. He took his band of marry, courageous knights and tried their hand at the Dragon.
Like all other attempts, the prince and his friends met a bloody end. When the news reached the king about his beloved son, he was so struck by grief. He went after the Dragon as well. Knowing he would die, no one knew what the king’s true plans till it was too late. The queen, who many had believed and now know, is unfeeling and analytical, took over the rule of the kingdom leaving no time to mourn the loss of her husband and son. She called for aid. However, queen received little help, nobody wanted to share the fate of the late prince and king. Nevertheless, the dragon raged on every night, killing and destroy Selina’s land.
Finally, The United Front answered the queen’s desperate call. Everyone thought them crazy for going up against such a beast.
But they did, and they won!
The queen was so happy she gave the party a mighty reward and were declared heroes of the kingdom!
Despite all that…
If all the near-death encounters we all just went through were not still fresh in my memory I wager I’d flown away by now.
My Master and his party are getting their purses handed to them — empty — and they are willing participants in this obvious swindle.
We were traveling back to our home city for some much needed recovery. On the road this old man with a long, groomed beard and thick robes approached us with an unsightly large cart behind him. The cart itself seemed to have moved with the aid of some phantom hands. No animal is attached, nor could this old man have pushed it himself. Not with all the “treasures” he supposedly has in his possession. Not as though we could see what is inside due to the large gray clothe covering the top.
“I have all kinds of rare relics and tomes in my cart, some of these things have yet to see the light of day. Yes, still in cased in their chases, are they. They are so old and fall of lost knowledge that I am not even sure how I would market it.” The old man said, his hands rubbed together as though he was nerves.
I knew form the moment he came accrues our path that he was no good. But my poor Master and his friends, they see no wrong about him.
“Where did you say you found these tomes?” my Master asked. My Master’s vices seemed to show actual interest in what this man was saying about his goods. Exhaustion of all kinds must still be weighing them down more than I calculated. Even with the three weeks we spent in Selina after the great extinction of the Cave Dragon, the members of The United Front have not been the same.
They appear to be more susceptible to idiots.
“I think from an old cove by the Elves of the Sea and Water, down south. I helped with some pesky little mermaids and found some interesting things. Well I snagged them before the elves could see and now, I can’t seem to get rid of them. But I know they are valuable.”
“You said you found tomes in the land of Sea and Water Elves?” My Master said, I could hear the eagerness the old man tried to suppress.
But no matter, I have faith in my Master. Grindle, the old strong arm, might buy something but I know my master and I have faith…
“I’ll take it off your hands.”
… What?!
“Oh joy! Let me fish it out for you!”
You idiot! Magness, I thought better of you.
He was not the only one either. Selina ended up buying serval very expensive things, Tristen bought some instruments he’d never seen before. When he tried to play it, the old man told him it would take a lot of practice, but he would get it. And as predicted Grindle handed over so much of his reward money that I was almost given enough desire to leave my parch and peck out his eyes.
But the last time I did that Master threatened to set me on fire…
Let them spend all their money.
As predicted, they did.
…
It’s been a day seance the encounter with the old salesman. The screams of rage as they all learned their products were faulty turned out to be the perfect lullaby for a sunbathing nap.
