Chapter 4: Those you trust

As you might've noticed by now, Myrin had never been very popular. It wasn't so much that he avoided spending time with others, but more that others seemed to only ever see what he was on the outside. Not human. Not hafling. Elven. Where he grew up that was rare. In his village and the surrounding farms and other villages, there were rarely any elves at all. Even his parents where human. And no matter how normal something is in one place, if it's rare in another place it often gets treated with mistrust.

As such Myrin never had any friends. The parents of other children told them to not play with the strange elven boy. They might catch a disease from him. And so Myrin spend many days playing by himself. Only once he met another elf. Well. She was a half-elf but many of her features were clearly elven. She was part of a caravan that travelled through their village. And for a short time, Myrin had a friend he could play with. But that ended as well.

And then he met Castrin. A human boy who treated him just like he would any other human. He treated him like a person. But Castrin was now gone as well.

A small smile crept onto Myrin's face as he thought about what he got stuck with this time. A human boy, a little older than him, stubborn, reckless, and with a tendency to almost get them both killed. Delmar wasn't the kind of person Myrin would've looked for to make friends with. But he was the kind of person he'd follow to the end of the world.

He let out a soft sigh. Myrin was currently leaning against a wall in a tavern, standing far in a corner, out of view for everyone and anyone. He had always been sensitive to loud noises, and his ears didn't enjoy all the shouting and loud conversation going on right now. You may be wondering why he was staying in a tavern if he disliked it so much that it brought him pain. The answer was sitting halfway across the room, with a mug in his hand and surrounded by beautiful women, children, and men alike, telling the story of how they conquered a dungeon.

It was obvious Delmar was enjoying this party. Much more so than Myrin was. As you might've guessed from Myrin's past, he wasn't used to all the attention being on him. And he didn't like it either. So in a way he was grateful for Delmar handling all this. Or he would've been if it was just that. Handling the curiousity of people. But Delmar was clearly enjoying himself. All those people wouldn't give us the time of day if we hadn't shown up with so much gold and treasure. Said gold and treasure was currently stacked in massive bags near Delmar. Not that he was really keeping an eye on those. But Myrin was. Someone had to.

Myrin let out another sigh. Was Delmar really so blind that he couldn't see that those people were just after the gold they had come back with? Myrin didn't know. He hadn't known Delmar for that long. But he had seen how brave - or reckless - he could be. And no matter how much Myrin was dragging him down, he didn't stop to help him back up even once. And he did say, that he wouldn't have been able to conquer the dungeon without him. That thought made Myrin happier than anything had in a long time. He had been useful.

A lout thump and the crashing sound of a chair falling onto the ground made Myrin flinch and he looked up to see Delmar had jumped onto a table. With one hand he raised his drawn sword towards the ceiling, his story apparently sounding even more dramatic than what actually happened.

Myrin's eyes fell onto the bracelet on Delmar's arm. They had decided to take it after all. And after it had talked to them they both felt it was probably safer to keep it nearby. And so Delmar had put it on. Myrin didn't feel as if that was a good idea but nothing he said seemed to convince Delmar. He didn't seem like he had changed. So maybe it was fine after all. What that bird creature said still worried Myrin though. It didn't sound as if their future was just a bright one.

And there was another thing that bothered Myrin. Something he couldn't get out of his head. Magician. What the creature had called him stuck with him. Yes, he knew some magic. He had always assumed it just was an elven thing. But what if there was more. If he had some underlying talent for magic. Could he teach it himself? He neither had the money nor the time to attend one of the many mage academies. But maybe he could teach himself with books. He stared down at his own hand as he clenched it into a fist, confirming his determination.

Delmar in the meantime had sat back down on his chair, laughing, his cheeks a faint red, taking another sip from the mug in his hand. The people around him clung to his every word, and some even kept bringing him more mugs, despite not having finished the one in his hand. It seemed as if he wouldn't finish for a while.

Myrin glanced at the bags of gold, wondering how they could transport them. For now he just didn't want to leave them down here. He headed over to some barmaids, asking them politely if someone could help him carry those bags upstairs. At first they were clearly staring, most likely at his ears. But then they nodded and ran off to get someone. With the help of some men Myrin managed to get the bags up into their room.

It was a nice one. And they didn't even have to pay for it. The owner of the tavern had invited them. Of course he did. The amount of money he made in this night with the two of them just being present more than paid for the room. Myrin fell down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

»I'll figure the bag issue out tomorrow ... I'm sure there's an easy solution. Maybe some sort of magic item.«

He closed his eyes, wondering if he could sleep despite the noise from downstairs. But sleep never came, even as his own thoughts drowned out the noise, they kept him awake.

---

When the door opened and closed, and a thump on the bed next to him marked Delmar's return, Myrin had drifted off for a moment. Though his sleep was too light for his eyes not too immediately shoot wide open. He rolled onto his side, looking over to the other bed.

Delmar was lying face down on the mattress, clearly looking like he'd drop off any moment now. But despite that he suddenly turned his head to look over at Myrin, a grin on his face.

»That was a great party.«

»Yeah...«

Myrin couldn't say much more. He wasn't one for drinking, loud music, drunk people, or parties in general. But he didn't want to be a downer. After all, they had conquered a dungeon, and if Delmar enjoyed being celebrated he shouldn't say anything about it.

»You left pretty early, Myrin.«

»Eh? You noticed?«

Delmar let out a small laugh, as if Myrin was asking a stupid question.

»I like to think of myself that I'm capable of sensing when my partner in crime disappears. But even if I wasn't capable of that ... mountains of gold being moved is pretty obvious.«

»Oh.«

He couldn't say much more. Of course something like that was easy to notice. And Delmar had shown to be much more capable than most people. So maybe ... it was okay to critizise him a little.

»Delmar ... I don't think we should be wasting our time with parties like that. Those people don't really like you, they just like all the gold we brought back. They're trying to suck up to you to-«

»I know.«

»You ... if you know why did you-«

»Because it's fun. I'm not really good at telling stories but it was pretty fun. And if we would've just retreated to our rooms people would've kept bothering us. This way everyone had some fun, and hopefully they'll leave us alone for now.«

Myrin stared quietly at him, not having realised that Delmar had actually given this some thought. He hadn't survived by himself for so long by being stupid.

»Anyway ... did you figure out how we're going to move all that gold, Myrin?«

»I gave it some thought ... I'm not sure we'll be able to buy one in this town, but I did hear about a magic item that can carry heaps of gold and other things and yet be as small and light as a normal bag.«

»Hm ... there is a magic shop in town. I'm not sure if they have something like that, but it's worth a try?«

»Yeah, if you're keeping an eye on the bags I can go and look tomorrow. There are a few other things I'd like to look for as well.«

Despite Delmar's questioning look, Myrin didn't elaborate. He wanted to look for a book on magic, but for now he wasn't certain if this idea of him was a good one or not.

»Where do you want to go to next, Delmar?«

»Well ... to be honest ... I don't know.«

»Eh?!«

»I've never gotten to the point where I could actually think of step two of my adventuring. But ... there is one place I heard of. It's a city of ice. And they don't have a single king. Instead the citizens rule. Doesn't that sound awesome?«

»Well ... I'm not sure how that is supposed to work, but ... I guess?«

»Maybe we could go there. See how it works. And if nothing else, the journey itself will be an adventure!«

»City of ice ... if we're heading north I'll also go and get supplies. We can't eat gold after all.«

The two boys continued discussing and planning their trip to the north. At the moment they didn't have anything. And they needed quite a lot more. Food, water, rope, warm clothes. All sorts of supplies for a long journey. That night they didn't get much sleep. Instead they made a list of things Myrin would get the next day, as they agreed one of them should stay behind with the bags.

---

Myrin had decided to start with the magic shop. If there was indeed an item that let them carry any weight it was probably worth getting it right away. At the very least he didn't have to carry the supplies for two people back to the inn by himself.

The shop Myrin found, didn't look like much from the outside. Uvys' Magic Emporium. The windows were dark and hard to see through, and apart from a sign at the door that said open nothing seemed to suggest this to be a shop currently in business.

Myrin gave a shrug before stepping up to the door, pushing the door open and stepping inside. The soft shime of a bell announced his entrance. The first thing Myrin noticed was that the shop smelled old. Not in a bad way. But in the same way libraries smelled old. Old, and filled with books and knowledge. His gaze drifted around, the high shelves of the shop seemingly creating a mazelike structure. Each of the shelves was filled with a variety of curiousities.

Myrin stepped closer to one that was behind a glass case. It looked like a simple book. He was tempted to reach out and knock on the glass but thought that it was maybe better not to actually touch anything in a shop that might be filled with magic. He straightened up, and cleared his throat. More to catch attention than to actually clear his throat.

»Hello? I-I'm here to buy something ...«

In response to Myrin's words, he could hear some crashing and thumping sounds before eventually from behind one of the shelves a man emerged. He was covered in dust and his hair seemed too wild to be tamed. Myrin would've been worried if this man was dangerous if it wasn't for the friendly smile on his face. Somehow he felt this man couldn't be evil. Or could he?

»Ah! Customer! Fantastic! Welcome to Uvys' Magic Emporium! I'm Uvys! How can I help you, young man?!«

Instinctively Myrin took a step back. He wasn't used to people being this enthusiastic and it honestly worried him a little.

»Ah ... I'm looking for a magical bag that can carry lots of ... things. A-and still stay light enough to be carried.«

»I see, I see. I might have such a thing.«

The man, Uvys, disappeared between the shelves again and as he seemed to be taking his time, Myrin started looking around. He was a bit warry of the items on the shelves. But when he found an actualy bookshelf he studdied the backs of the books with curiousity. Maybe one of these books could teach him magic. Starting from the top left and heading towards the bottom left, Myrin read the title on the back of every book. His eyes lingered on one of the titles. The Beginnings of a Magician. Wasn't that too easy?

»Are you looking to study magic?«

Myrin flinched visibly, spinning around to stare at the man behind him with wide eyes. He didn't look angry. On the contrary. There was a friendly smile on his face. But something about Uvys' smile made Myrin feel the need to be wary. Only when Uvys held out what seemed to be an old leather bag, Myrin noticed that he apparently had already finished looking.

»Uh ... that looks like an ... old bag.«

»Well it is. Do you think magic items are all as fresh as you, my boy? Open it up.«

Still feeling warry, Myrin took the bag and opened it up. The inside seemed to be just endless darkness, causing Myrin to raise a doubting eyebrow.

»And this thing can carry anything we put into it?«

»It does have a maximum carrying capacity. I believe around 500 lbs. And you can put anything into it as long as it fits through the opening. Please don't try and put another of these bags or anything else that involves pocket dimensions into it though.«

»...why?«

»Heh.«

Myrin still expected an answer. but it didn't seem as if he was getting one. His eyes fell back down onto the back. Is this really the real thing? His instinct did tell him yes. This bag didn't feel normal. It had to be the real thing. When he looked back up at the man named Uvys, the man was holding out a book to him.

»Um ... I wasn't looking to buy a book?«

»I think you were.«

Myrin curiously took the book, though when he looked for a title he couldn't find one. He flipped through the book, though it only seemed to contain blank pages. He looked back up at Uvys, a look of confusion on his face.

»It's ... empty.«

»Not for long. If you fill it up. It's a spellbook. It'll serve you well. I do believe you were looking to buy that book as well.«

Uvys pointed at the book behind Myrin that he had found of interest previously. For a little while Myrin just stared at the book. Was he really capable of learning something as complicated as magic? He shook his head a little before smiling at the shopkeeper.

»I'd like to buy the bag and these two books.«

---

»That should be all.«

Uvys was a nice man. Myrin smiled as he headed up the stairs at the inn. While the price for both the bag and the book about magic seemed rather steep, Myrin didn't know better and so wasn't in any position to bargain. But the spellbook was a present. He got it for free. So, it couldn't have been a terrible deal. Everything he bought after that, Myrin just stuffed into the bag. It indeed didn't feel any heavier than it did when he bought it. It was an incredible piece of magic.

As Myrin reached out for the door handle to open the door to their room at the inn, he froze when he heard some mumbled sounds and thumps. He pulled a face and let out a soft sigh. Did Delmar really invite someone into their room ... I wasn't gone for that long. He started contemplating wether or not he should enter. Maybe it was better to wait downstairs. No. This was his room as well. Myrin shook his head a little, putting on a serious face and hopefully strict face before pushing the door open and stepping inside, ready to scold Delmar for fooling around.

Though what he saw when he stepped in made him freeze in his tracks. Delmar was on the ground on his back, over him a ... child from their size, wearing clothing that made it impossible to even assume their gender. The child held a dagger in its hand, looking as if they were about to stab Delmar. And now both of them had turned their eyes towards Myrin, who grew paler by the second.

»S-sorry for interrupting...«

»Don't worry about it, Myrin ... you actually got pretty great timing.«

The child that was on top of Delmar looked from Myrin, back to Delmar and back to Myrin before letting out an audible click of his tongue. Within the blink of an eye having moved to the open window, jumping through it.

»Next time, Delmar Amabile.«

Myrin was still frozen, but Delmar got up and headed over to him to close the door before patting his clothes off a little. His normal smile was back on his face, pointing at the bag.

»I guess you got that bag huh? What about the other stuff?«

»Yeah ...«

Myrin was still somewhat frozen, though staring at Delmar's smile brought him back, making him shake his head.

»W-what the hell was that just now?!«

»An assassin I assume.«

»Oh, really? I thought maybe they wanted to clean the room. With a dagger.«

»No need for sarcasm, Myrin.«

Myrin shook his head in disbelief, rubbing his temples as he let out a soft sigh.

»Why?«

»I guess the dungeon? The military was interested in the stuff in it. And now we've got it all.«

»So we're being hunted by the crown. Lovely.«

»Haha! We were going to leave anyway, weren't we?«

»Yes ... but not as fugitives.«

Myrin let out another sigh before he started pulling the contents of the bag out and onto his bed.

»I'd say we separate that out between each other. The heaps of gold we have are probably pretty heavy anyway. And I don't want to fill the bag up with unnecessary things.«

»Sure.«

As Delmar started packing a bag, Myrin started filling their magical bag with the things they got from the dungeon. The two boys worked in silence. Delmar was the first to speak up again.

»I'm not sure how far that assassin will follow us.«

»I guess it was to be expected.«

»Are you okay with hanging out with a wanted fugitive?«

»Are you?«

Delmar went quiet. Myrin smiled a little as he filled the last of the gold into the bag, turning to look at his companion.

»I was in the dungeon with you. And didn't you say you couldn't have cleared it without me? I think they'd be after me just as much as after you.«

That, and you are already a wanted criminal.

»I guess ... alright! We're staying together then.«

»I already said I'd go on adventures with you.«

To that Delmar smiled brightly. He finished packing two backpacks before handing Myrin one. They looked back at the comfortabel room they had been living in these past two days, before then throwing a quick look at each other. Neither of them looked as if they'd back down. They'd be going on adventures from now on. Together. No matter how many assassins were after them.