The Quest For The King's Magic
Copyright© 2007 by GLSGareth
Chapter 5
Save the Kingdom! How easy they made it sound. I picked up another acorn and tossed it to the cluster of squirrels surrounding the Kugnean Chapel. They chattered at me indignantly. What was their problem? I had been tossing them their favorite food, right? Lots of acorns here... piles and piles.
Then I remembered where all the acorns had come from.
"Axe practice," I reflected aloud. "Sorry, squirrels. I am done now."
"Talking to the animals?" A sarcastic voice from behind made me wonder whether it was going to be my week for people to sneak up on me. "Apologizing to squirrels for stealing their acorns?"
"Hey! I'm giving them back," I protested, turning to see a beautiful young woman seated causally on the riverbank behind me. There was no way she could have gotten there without walking past me. Almost no way. She was ethereal, surrounded by a visible aura, her too bright orange dress showing no signs of the muddy riverbank and her tiny bare feet cleaner than if she had just washed them, gave you the impression she wasn't all in this world. Probably because she wasn't.
"Hello, Briar," I greeted her, "How is everything in Heaven?"
"As usual, Gareth," She replied, smiling, "None of your business."
While I laughed, it occurred to me that this was the first time in a long time that I had found something truly funny without a belly full of wine. Now that was a sobering thought. I had come down to the Chapel to reminisce about my dead wife and consider the Phoenix's plan for me to help repair the faulty Resurrection magics. The two were related, as my wife was one of the first "tainted" spirits to not get Resurrected properly. Usually I would bring a few bottles of wine, sit beside the river and fish. A good spot to camp out in early Fall, it also seemed like a good place to meet Blaster later.
"So what does an Immortal want with an old drunkard like me? Did I break a law?"
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