Peanut Gallery
"What kind of future is that!?" screamed a young girl. Rill sighed and spoke calmly. "I only say the truth. Please leave."
"You heard the boss. Shoo!" Ruby cawed from his shoulder.
Rill instinctively ducked smartly as the girl swung her fist towards his face.
Her face cherry-tomato red, the girl stomped off.
"Stupid girl. She should accept her fate," Ruby remarked.
"Ruby, we do not need a –what do humans call it? – a peanut gallery at the moment. You've chased off too many customers, and you know how quickly word spreads in this province. Soon we'll have to move."
Since delivering the potion to Nina and her friends, Rill had taken up future readings – but it hadn't gone quite as well as he thought it would.
"Well, I've gotten sick of this province already."
"We've only been here two days."
"Your point being?"
Rill sighed, and closed the thick purple curtains of his tent. "Stand guard for me, I'm taking a nap."
"Sleepyhead."
Two hours in to Rill's favorite pastime (sleeping), Rill had a dream. Little elves were screaming and dancing around the tent, pulling at Ruby's feathers and mocking Rill with their shrill, high voices. Two of them picked up Rill's staff and dashed out of the tent. Sleepily, Rill followed.
Rill saw them dash down the empty streets, towards the edge of the city. The elves then climbed up a set of uneven stairs, and disappeared, with Rill's staff. Rill shrugged and fell asleep on the stairs.
Rill was awakened by the sound of Ruby pecking at his shoulder. "Wake up, sleepyhead. We're gaining publicity from this!"
"I… was chasing elves…"
"Elves?"
"Never mind… wait, where am I…?"
Ruby sighed, then pecked Rill some more. "In a tree, stupid. Now get up and read some futures!"
"But this tree is comfy…"
"Comfy my beak!"
"Oh, all right. Fortunes anybody…?"
"You're hopeless."
"With special commentary from our peanut gallery…"
"Hey!"