Poison

The next morning was a blast, I woke up feeling…happy, I can't find any other word to describe how I felt. We had a toast, some slices of thin slices of smoked ham and soft cookies filled with fig for breakfast. Although the most delicious part of all was her smile, anytime our eyes met, I wish I knew a word to describe this.

She prepared a few leather canteens with water and food for the travel, which would be a few hours long, then she casted a spell onto the tablecloth transforming the containers and dishes into paper cut out drawings. She then opens her spell book and places them on a clean page where they got sticked to it as if she had applied glue to them.

"Oh, almost forgot about yours," she handles me a canteen sticker, "this is yours, remember to drink water while we fly on the broom."

I held it close to my face, examining the magic item, confused, "And how do I make it big again?" She kisses the tip of her index finger, eyes closed, a tiny pearl of magic energy like a snowflake appeared which she guided to the paper cut out to 'bring it back to life', the canteen returned to it proper state in my hands.

"Let's go now, so we can get there before the curfew"

The travel back to the Archives on the Magistrate district was a new experience. Seen the trees and roads and houses and farms from above is such a strange powerful feeling, as if I was a giant. Not that because I'm short, anyone would feel this way...probably.

As we traverse though the realms from above, Evie told me stories about the lands she had visited on her journey to become an Ice elemental, and how she managed to tricked a god of ice into the crystal that powers her staff, by simply teasing him about his wide tummy. She seemed nostalgic, or homesick, or maybe just sad about it somehow.

We got to the town by five past meridian, we got there in time even after stopping a few times to eat and stretching our legs, sitting in the same position for so long made my legs a bit numb at times and Evie was kind enough to bring us back to land for me to jump and walk to wake my on the ground, Evie decided it was best for her to not go past the walls surrounding the fortified town, as she was a member of the Paladins, it made sense, so she went to an Inn, the closest to the gates, so I could find her afterwards in case I wanted to go back with her.

As I traversed thru the crowded markets and alleys, that question kept browsing in my head, 'should I stay or should I…?
But I can't, I need to focus on the task at hand, surviving the owl's trial.

The arcane building of the Archiveswas once a place for scholars and masters of wizardry, but since the Resistance was form it became just another espionage and data recollection center, and, the owl's base of operations.

I followed the secret pathway to the dark room, drummed the wooden door with the special code given to me, his raspy voice invites me in, the room is as grim and professional as the last time I was here. No family portraits, no music cylinders, nothing but military books and maps, and of course, the owl's renowned Talon rifle displaying behind his desk.

I try to hide my fear by keeping on a mask of confidence, I breath slowly, I keep eye contact with him and take a seat as he offers with a gesture. He studies me, a harden look on his eyes, "So, where is the body?", a monotone raspy voice that gave me the chills.

"Timber mill..."

"And alive. Nothing but a thief as they said in the streets then, I was hopping your abilities and skills would have come in handy in our lines, but, I make mistakes..." even if monotone, there was vile in those words, a grim pause, a tinge of premeditation and perfume? "but I always correct them."

He reaches for talon pistol as I reach for my coat's pocket, the gun at a couple of inches of my nose, I look straight into his killer eyes, "I have proof of her whereabouts in my pocket" I almost sound calm.

"Slowly"

As slow as I could and as tenderly as possible, as if it was a kitten, I take the magic imprint out of my coat and handle it to him. His gun never leaves the threatening position, my lips feel dry but, I can do nothing about to not look suspicious.

"This is her. Why is she not here with you then?"

"The rumor is that the town is under new management, The Paladins." His gun retracted back, his expression almost changed, but it was nothing but a twitch, "I thought that taking anyone off resistance territory might caused a war, a war both side would be unprepared for..."

He puts his gun away and opens up a chest, he grabs to bags and lays them on the desk separated a feet from each other, "Nine hundred blue crystals for the print and four hundred yellow ones for the other intel, are we clear on the terms?"

"Crystal. I was never here, I don't know your name and there are no paladins on the mill."

He takes the print and rolls it using a cord to maintain it that way and places it beside the bag on the right, "Two thousand blue crystals alive, sixteen hundred dead, anyway you need to bring her body here. This a stealth mission..."

"I can't take this job, it's too-"

"Oh, but I will cutie, stealth is my forte, well after my beauty that is" Sitting next to me a woman in a clad one piece suit of a strange material of black and purple color, her hair in a similar fashion, her skin clear caramel, and her breast… way too exposed. And perfume, she has been here all along, invisible, silent.