Chapter 010

The figure struggled in Alaina's grasp, and managed to free itself before once more curling itself around Trimagus, looking like a pet that had finally seen its owner after a long absence.

"My people have followed the Fire Tyrant for hundreds of years. He disappeared almost five hundred years ago, but he told us that he would once again appear in the city closest to The Wilderness. And, to wait for his arrival."

"Why don't we get some food, and then you can tell us everything." Trimagus suggested, stalling the response long enough to eye the gnome with a bit of annoyance. The gnome had the decency to look embarrassed, and went off to gather some food for the trio.

"Let me clean this up first…" The boy said, only to earn a snort from Trimagus.

"Don't bother. You're coming with us, the gnome can do that." He said, dismissively, and motioned for the group to go deeper into the room, near the fireplace. "I want to hear more about your people, and the foretelling. And, why that gnome keeps calling you male."

"I… might have told him that to make sure he didn't try to sneak into the room I'm staying in…" She giggles, and wrinkles her nose. "I've learned that lots of males try to do that, if they think you're female, and are alone."

"Yeah. They do." Alaina said, giving a pointed look to Trimagus. This look wasn't missed by the mage, who sputtered.

"Hey. Hey. That was my room! And, I didn't sneak into it, I walked in. No one was supposed to be there. That's not on me!" He countered, which only earned an eye roll from Alaina, and a laugh from the girl that had joined them.

"I see. You two get along quite well." She offered, a hint of jealousy in her tone, something that Alaina didn't miss and smiled at.

"Getting back on track…" Tri interrupted, tapping a finger on the tabletop. "Your people, serving me, waiting here… give me the quick and dirty version." This caused Alaina to snicker again, earning another look from Trimagus.

"Err.. Right. The Fire Tyrant saved a village on the verge of destruction, from multiple flame elementals. My people have always had a strong connection to water, and the elementals didn't appreciate how close we were." She toyed with her hair as she recited the story, from memory, with a hint of a smile on her plump lips.

"Our lands were burnt, and with only thirty people left, the Fire Tyrant arrived. He captured the fire elementals, and threw them into a realm far away. My people were so thankful that they promised to follow him for the rest of my people's existence."

"He stayed with our people for a dozen years, teaching us about resonance and showing the proper way to use magic. Then, one day, he said he had to leave. But, to have someone keep an eye on …" She chewed her lip, trying to remember the exact phrase. "The place that is the part of civilization that is closest to the wilderness. It will always grow, and I will always need to go there."

Alaina glanced from the girl, to Trimagus and then back before sighing. "You want to go with us, don't you?" She dreaded the response, but already knew the girl would nod her white and blue covered head.

"Of course you do." She muttered, and looked to Trimagus. She made a face, then looked back to the girl.

"Yes, it's my duty to serve the Fire Tyrant…" She began.

"Trimagus. My name is Trimagus. Fire Tyrant is a title. I don't need you to keep calling me that, alright?" He snapped, and glanced over towards where the gnome was finally bringing their food and drinks.

"Ahh, that'll be an extra gold for the stray… ahh.. boy's food." The gnome explained, once he'd placed the plates and mugs on the table.

"Sure, and add in the cost for the broken dishes from earlier." The flaming haired man said, motioning towards the mess where they'd met the girl at moments earlier. "You'll be coming with us, don't worry." He told the girl, who looked at the food with wide eyes and a watering mouth but didn't reach out for it.

Alaina, too, waited to eat, maneuvering the dishes around so that they were all within reach of Trimagus. He sighed, and pushed a couple of bowls towards them, and motioned to the food. "Eat. We can talk more, later tonight." He told them, with a hint of annoyance and amusement at the same time.

"She'll be staying with us, as well." He added, to Alaina, as he took a large bit of whatever animal leg he'd been given. Startled by the sudden burst of flavor, he looked at the meat with more interest. "Mmm. This is damned good." He mused, complimenting the gnome that had left to clean up the mess he girl had left behind. "By the way, what's your name?"

Alaina ate with more decorum, gingerly forking a mouthful of food to carefully chew before swallowing. The other girl, however, wolfed the food down as if she were starving. And, around a mouthful of food, she answered. "Stormy."

That was the last that they spoke for a good half hour, as the trio enjoyed their food and the companionable silence.

"Alaina, bed time, Stormy you as well. We have to get some information about the wilderness in the morning, and then the next day we're leaving." He explained, standing from his chair. The two women joined him, standing and followed with a couple of acknowledgements.

Upstairs, they discovered a single bed, wide enough for several people. Trimagus didn't bother being embarrassed as he began peeling layers of clothing off. "Alaina on the left side, Stormy on the right, Earth lock the door, Ice lock the window." He commanded, even as he slipped under the blanket.

The women glanced at him, each other, and then whispered back and forth a moment before Alaina finally spoke up. "We … don' know how to do that." She confessed, with Stormy's apologetic nod in confirmation.

"Well, fuck. Alright." He sighed, tucked an arm under his head and grinned. "I'll tell you how to do it, first one to get it done right gets to ask for one wish or favor."

The pair nodded, after a determined look from each other to the mage in the bed.

"Condense your inner strength into a palm sized circle. With the other hand, write the symbol for a lock on the surface you want to keep locked. Now, with your resonance, trace the symbol until you feel resistance. This'll mean that there's no more room in the symbol for your resonance. Draw a circle around it with your inner strength, and you're done." Scratching under his jaw, he added. "And, while you're doing it, think about keeping the room safe, and the people within it unharmed from the results of the magic, just in case something does happen."

"Extra points for angling the magic out from the room, and towards whomever breaks the lock."

It ended up taking the girls the better part of an hour, but in the end Alaina won.

And, her wish was a simple one.