Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign - By Phillip Jones Page 0,59

question. “Come in, boy. You can call me, Morre. My brother just left, or you could’ve met him as well.”

Damn, I wonder how he knows where I’m going. This beast must be real if he figured it out like that, George thought. As he walked past Morre to enter the establishment, the desire to vomit rushed through him as the stench of the mage’s odor clubbed him upside the head. This guy is a pig. Take a damn bath for hell’s sake.

George struggled to think beyond the stench. He swallowed and then forced a smile. “My name’s George. I’m sorry to barge in on you like this, but maybe I can meet your brother on some other occasion.” I bet he’s just as disgusting as you are, he thought.

Morre nodded. “Perhaps on some other occasion then. However, if you’re going into the Cave of Sorrow, you may never get the chance.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can give you a spell to protect your mind, but—”

“Hold on. I never said anything about protecting my mind.”

Morre frowned at the rudeness of George’s interruption, but continued without answering his query. “I have a pair of scrolls prepared, but I don’t have the supplies to make another.”

It annoyed George that the mage knew more about his situation than he should have. “Two spells should be fine.”

Morre nodded and led George to the far side of his library. “I think I have a few snare scrolls as well. You can read from the scroll after planning where you’ll trap the beast. The spell sets an invisible snare that will hold him in place for a significant series of moments. But don’t worry, you’ll be immune to the affected area. This should allow you to make your actions look natural while luring the beast into bondage.”

“I never thought of that,” George replied. “Sounds like a plan.” He counted the snare scrolls Morre was holding. “I’ll take all three of those.”

Morre scribbled some calculations, and after a moment, he arrived at a number that was intentionally overpriced. “That will be four Jervaise.”

George did the math and realized he did not have enough to buy everything. “Damn ... I’m three Helmep short. Morre, is there room for negotiation? Maybe I could do a favor to make up the difference.”

The mage thought a moment and turned to George with an idea. “I’ll sell you the scrolls for the coin you have on you if you’ll deliver a message to a friend of mine who lives in Siren’s Song. I use the word ‘friend’ loosely. He’s a large ball of energy called a wisp ... a Wisp of Song. If you can find him, and I assure you he’s difficult to find, please give him this sealed envelope. Inside is the information he desires.”

“A wisp? Huh! Never heard of that before.”

Morre smiled, exposing his collection of heavily neglected teeth.

Seeing the mounds of plaque, George’s jaw tightened in order to keep a straight face as Morre responded. “The wisp is my special ‘friend.’ He’s all-knowing when it comes to matters of magic. He’ll be pleased to receive my message, and he’ll reward you by providing an answer to any question you ask of him. But I must warn you, make sure your question is specific and clear.

“Interesting,” George uttered, unsure of what to think. “I tell you what. I can deliver the envelope once I’m done going to the cave ... if that’s okay with you.”

Morre nodded. “That’s not what I would prefer, but that should be acceptable. It’ll save me from traveling the distance.”

“Where can I find this wisp?”

“The wisp makes its home within the mist below Griffin Falls. There is a hidden pool called Siren’s Song. The water from the falls spreads a thick vapor across a vast area. It’s there the wisp hides. Since the gods have protected the area, the wisp isn’t an aggressive creature. You can approach without fear.”

“What else?” George urged.

“The sphere uses song to communicate with those who are willing to perform an act of service. This envelope is the result of my assignment, and the wisp will offer a reward for the information sealed inside.”

George smirked. “So you’re just going to give it to me? Don’t I owe you coin ... not the other way around? Why would you give me your reward?”

“I’m tired. I don’t wish to journey to the wisp’s home. Three Helmep is not a fair trade. You may have the reward for saving my moments.”

George nodded. “Okay ... I’ll buy