Chris and The Three Wizards by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

Travel with a wizard

Now that we had a working fund, Jim tells me that it is too dangerous to travel with this much coin.

“We need to go to the world bank and open accounts. One in your name and one in mine. That way we only have a few gold on us.”

We find the world bank and through a long process that involves even using blood as identification. We now have fat accounts. The tile that is our passbook. Is a magical devise that all I need to do is place it in the hand of the teller and place my hand atop it. My picture appears then it reads my blood without having to shed it.

As a courtesy, since it was a large deposit, they gave us an invisible pouch that only the owner of the tile can see. Cool.

It is a mage convention, so we wander. Jim starts introducing me to other mage’s that he knows. We watch some of the shows that they are putting on. Every so often, Jim will ask,

“Anything?”

“No voice yet. It’s been a long day. Why don’t we find an inn and get rooms for the night. I don’t know about you but I could use a good meal and a bath.”

Jim thinks about it.

“Since we are not short on coin, I know just the place. It is a good inn that has a good restaurant and a bath house. I have never had the extra to spend but now. The total package for a night is a gold.”

“Sold. Lead me, Jerrico the mysterious.”

There is nothing compared with being fed and having a long soak. I think to myself quite a difference from last night. I cringe at the thought of them finding me dead on the toilet. I really did not have any one that would miss me.

I dismissed that thought. This is me right now. That old me no longer exists. I have a new future ahead and a go nowhere life behind me. I see potential. No game console to capture my ass in the chair.

It was a beautiful place. Wonderful bed but we had to leave.

“Where can we get some gear. A tent would be nice and we need travel supplies. The big thing is that I need a weapon?”

Jim again knew of a place and soon we were outfitted with the essentials.

Thinking on how many mages we met, I tell Jim that I don’t feel that the two are here.

“Maybe we need to move on.”

As I said that the voice said,

“Fourth of four blessings acquired. Perception. The ability of seeing things to figure out what is the correct thing to do and what to avoid.”

Jim notices that I have stopped and asks if I am alright.

“I just had my last blessing unlocked. As you know, I have boost, camel, and unnoticed. Now I have perception. I can tell what action to take and what to avoid.”

“Handy. Since you don’t feel that the two are here, let’s go.”

Going out of the town had no line. It was open and we stood at a fork in the road.

Jim looks at me and puts his hand out. He sweeps it from one to another.

“We go on the left. There is great danger on the right. Thieves.”

“To the left it is.”

Walking for a little bit, we come across a sight that is unexpected.

There on the side of the road, sitting on a boulder is the Goliath that Jim fought yesterday. He looks at the both of us, then sadly says to Jim.

“You’re the reason he threw me to the side of the road. He had to pay out. I was told that I was no longer marketable. He knew of another. With that I sit here.”

I don’t even consult with Jim on this. I just know that this is what we need.

“I’m looking for three wizards to help me on a quest. I have found one.”

I point to Jim then continue.

“You are not one of them but my perception tells me that we need you with us. Want to go along with us? Or are you content on letting the world go by you for a while longer?”

It is taking a while for him to think about it.

“I don’t have any gear or a weapon.”

I feel that this is right. I hand him three gold.

“We’ll wait here. Go back to town and get what you need.”

“You’re not worried that I’ll run off?”

“Where are you going to run off to? Another stone at another gate?” Go, daylight’s burning.”

After he goes, Jim asks why “I can give you a temporary boost but I can’t do anything other to help or protect myself. He can help with that. You felt how strong he is. Without the boost, could you have beaten him?”

With that we waited. It wasn’t long before he came back. He had some things in a backpack and a very large club strapped to his belt. We were looking at it.

“I prefer this. A club makes people squish under it.” And he smiles.

He pulls out the change left. It was a gold, eight silver and some coppers. He starts to hand it to me.

“No” I tell him. “That’s your pocket change. May I ask what’s your name.”

“Garth” He tells me.

“Well Garth, Lets go”

We walk and get to know our new traveling insurance.

It doesn’t take Garth long to notice the bottle on Chris’s belt. Finally curiosity gets the better of him.

“What’s that you have on your belt?”

Jim answers him.

“That, my friend, is something you don’t want to experience. It’s Chris’s pee.”

“Why would you carry pee?”

“His pee knocks out people.”

“Bullshit. Show me.”

He sees Jim walk far away.

I open the bottle and down goes Garth.

After around a half an hour, since it was only a small whiff, Garth starts to stir.

“What just happened?”

Jim comes over

“You experienced just a whiff. Imagin the effect if he poured it out”

“Maybe if I have trouble sleeping.”

A light goes on in Jim’s head.

“How about we sell small bottles of it as a sleep agent for insomniacs?”

“We don’t know if it works with someone else holding it. Want to try?”

Jim looks to Garth but the big guy backs off.

“I still feel sleepy. Your idea, you try.”

“It was only an idea.”

Garth huffs then says,

“Coward. I cannot see how you ever got in the arena to challenge me.”

I think about it then come clean.

“Try to pick up that large rock.”

Garth does but you could see that it was a challenge. He sets it down.

I activate boost on him and he feels it.

“Now try.”

He is able to pick it up as if it was fluff. When he sets it back down, I shut off boost. He for the third time tried and it was like the first.

“The power is called boost.”

Garth looks at the two of us and looks angry. He then breaks out into the largest belly laugh. He looks to Jim.

“Want to go a round without Chris?”

“No damn way. You would squash me.”

“I wanted out of that job anyways. All I got was room and board. Now I at least have some pocket change.”

He looks at us and only says,

“Cheats”

We all laugh and continue on.