Interval II: A Waiting Silence

Laughter fills the room. Yet I sit here alone on this bench silent. There is nothing that I need to say. Waiting for the shy girl and that buffoon of an orc really gets on my nerves sometimes.

If the others saw me now they would laugh. Laugh as loud as the children in this room. I draw the occasional stare but these adventurers know to leave me alone.

They have seen what happens to those who annoy me. I can freeze their britches without a second thought. I could gently singe their eyebrows off with a simple spell. They don’t call me the Trickster Mage for nothing.

Well there is nobody left alive who still calls me that.

I place my large wizard hat in my lap. I am a patient elf. I can wait…an eternity if I have to.

“Did you see him?”

“No, it was so fast I couldn't get a good look.”

“It was the speed demon again wasn't it?”

Speed demon. What are these fools talking about? The last demon was eradicated over one thousand years ago. By my hand. Besides, there is no such thing as a speed demon.

This is annoying. I grab my staff and go to slam it to the ground when their words stop me.

“He was fast. Like the fastest thing I have ever seen. He grabbed me so quickly and pulled me out of the way of a pitfall trap. He just kept running.”

“So is it a speed angel?”

“That name sounds terrible. Besides, the church wouldn’t like that one.”

“And they like speed demon?”

“Well…”

I gently lay my staff back down and listen intently.

“He challenged the first boss alone! He ran ahead of my party and jumped right into the fight. He charged straight at the Unholy Water as it was forming. The boss tried to blast him with his scalding water but he threw some glass bottles of liquid and slid on through it without a scratch.”

“What was in the bottles?”

“I have no clue, maybe holy water?”

The adventurers deliberate on the effectiveness of holy water on the Unholy Water. A pointless conversation. Clearly this “speed demon” used something to chill the boss.

“The boss dissolved so quickly after. Too bad there was no loot left behind.”

“What a waste.”

“I know right!”

A large dragonkin approaches the others. His red scales glow in the candlelight. The scars of many battles adorn his body.

“I saw this speed demon on the second floor. That psycho used a frog warrior tongue to slingshot himself straight through the second boss room.”

I inch forward in my seat. What did he do? That is insane.

“I don’t know how he did it. He let a frog warrior tongue grab him. This speed demon held firmly onto the sticky tongue and when it tried to have him for lunch he let go as it pulled him in.”

“That was what flew through the room when my party and I were fighting the Gravestone Golem?”

The others can’t fathom willingly letting one of those amphibians grab them with their gross sticky tongue. Let alone grabbing the thing purposely. He flew clear past the second boss without a fight?

Loud footsteps draw closer. The floor creaks with each step. A large black minotaur sits next to me gently and cautiously. I will allow it.

“What are we all talking about?”

“Hey Jim! Have you seen the speed demon?”

“I don’t believe I have. The demons are long dead. You should read your history books.”

Good boy Jim.

“He might not really be a demon. Whoever it is runs so fast you can barely see him. It is like he knows everything right before it is going to happen.”

Jim snorts thinking as he rubs his chin. His ears flap.

“Maybe I have seen him. I was fighting the jellyfish boss on the third floor. It was trying to wrap its wiggly arms around me and sting me. So I raised my–”

“Jim, what about the speed demon?”

“Oh right. He walked in the room and stared at that jellyfish for a moment. It slowly moved its arms to try and sting the demon…”

“And?”

“He just kind of moved out of its way. Then he kept on running.”

“What? He didn’t fight the jellyfish? That jelly can make you a lot of coins. Who leaves that behind?”

“He might have been being kind to me since I started fighting the boss first of course.”

Jim’s ears flick proudly. It is best to stay out of a minotaurs way when it comes to them and their prize.

“I guess that could be why Jim...”

The minotaur snorts. His tail whips gently causing my robe to shift.

“Oh forgive me miss…mister…um. Forgive me Silence.”

The minotaur kneels before me. Gently I pat my hand in the softest tuft of fur in the center of his big head. He is a good boy. I like Jim. He always knows his manners.

“I must be off. I have the little ones to take care of today. Let my friend the speed demon know I thank him for his hospitality if any of you see him before me.”

The big minotaur stomps gleefully as the others wave perplexed.

“What was Jim going on about?”

“I’ll be honest sometimes I can never tell.”

A party of seasoned adventurers burst into the Guild hall in a ruckus.

“Guys! You will not believe it. We saw the speed demon!”

“Wait, what was he doing this time?”

“It was the dragon turtle. It was chasing him around the fourth floor!”

That sounds uncomfortably familiar.

“How did he stay ahead of that monstrosity?”

“I’m not sure how but the speed demon was moving so fast. The dragon turtle never got close to him. Get this! He was leaving a slimy trail behind as he ran.”

“Is he just a humanoid slime monster?”

“No, if he was, he would be eating adventurers instead of saving them.”

“What if he wants us to return home each night and fatten up on the guild food. Then when we are more to his liking he will eat us?”

That is absurd. Slimes have no capacity to speak. I should freeze that boy’s britches for such an ignorant statement.

The adventurers argue for a while. Debating about the authenticity of the tales of the speed demon. A wise old voice causes silence to be cast across the hall.

“What is all the commotion about?”

It seems that even the Guildmaster can’t avoid the interest himself. The brat has always been one who likes to chase a new thrill. Maybe he wants to fight this speed demon?

“Guildmaster, is there any official report of an unusually lanky demon who runs faster than a horse?”

“That is quite the outlandish claim. While there are always rumors about things in the dungeon. I can personally assure you that there is no live demon in the dungeon. I would know.”

You can thank me for that at any point brat. Read a history book.

“Now would you all kindly disperse and go about your day. Poor Janice cannot concentrate with all the noise.”

The adventurers nod and depart carrying the conversation elsewhere. Some apologizing to the young receptionist. The brat still lingers.

“I find it assuming that you would allow them to continue so long.”

A jovial smile runs across his face with a raised eyebrow of amusement. I should freeze his too. I shouldn’t singe any of his balding hair that would be too cruel even for me.

I gently tap my staff on the ground.

Clack.

“Silent as ever I see.”

There is no one around. I wouldn’t mind messing with the brat for a little while more. He has done a good job taking care of what the others left behind. He deserves a small token of gratitude.

I gently rise and sternly point at the brats face. Even behind all the wrinkles I can still see that excitable little boy wanting to adventure.

I gently reach my hand towards his neck, grabbing the silver chain and lifting the guild crest from under his shirt. I guide his old finger to the hero’s sword on the crest.

The brats' eyes widen. Is he holding back tears? I let go.

“I truly pray to the goddess that you are right.”

He bows kindly and walks off back to his duties. It seems some weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He worries too much.

A brutish orc bursts into the room hollering about something nonsensical. A typically timid and shy girl follows by firing back a storm. What would these two do without me?

“Hey elf! Let's get going already, we are late!”

“And whose fault is that Brutus?”

“Stow it Missy. Time is wasting and there is gold to be made. Don’t you want to try and get something special for Goggles?”

“Hey…Quiet about that!”

I follow these two lovable fools out to the crowded streets. People laughing, enjoying themselves from all walks of life coming together. If I am right and I always am.

Something new is born.

Born to this town.

Freehearken.

I hold my necklace close.

The town you gave everything for.

He might not be you, but I will watch him just the same.