On the Origin of Magics

Chapter 5 - Enter the Underworld

"That was an interesting story." The goblin said as he stepped out from the darkness he'd been hiding in. "It rings an oddly familiar bell, doesn't it?" The man with a girl in his lap recognised the goblins voice instantly and turned to greet him. He was a very short, green creature with a big head and thin arms. Yes, he was quite an attractive goblin.

"Good to see you, Tim." The man said sarcastically. The goblin hated that name. His true name was Daltonius Timekeeper, and even though he'd abandoned the Timekeeping tradition to his relatives he was still proud of his heritage. 'Tim' was the name Gilligan had given him. He fought down the urge to argue, he wouldn't be able to change the man in front of him no matter how hard he tried.

"Well, I heard you had come back. And you're my duty. I can hardly let you be then, can I?" Daltonius sat down next to Gil on the other side of the sleeping girl.

"Something tells me you didn't try very hard."

"Well, you know. I've got myself to feed." The goblin chuckled. He scratched his pot belly while Glligan regarded him sceptically.

"You know, I've got myself to take care of as well. It becomes kind of hard with you people dropping by uninvited all the time." Gil reminded the goblin.

"Huh?"

"Ace came by earlier, just as I came back."

"Ah, Richter. Yeah, I heard about that. But you can hardly blame me for his always being in such a hurry." Daltonius enjoyed the look on Gilligan's face. He always liked revealing bits of information that he rightly shouldn't possess.

"Don't even try it, goblin. You would have come, too, if it hadn't been daylight!"

"Perhaps I would have. But I didn't, did I?"

"What do you want?" Gilligan was apparently too tired to argue and just wanted to get it over with.

"In the months you've been gone there has been an unsettling in the underground. A lot of powerful people have been getting nervous with the war coming close..."

"But it's not a war!"

"Call it whatever you want. To us it's a war. Now shut up and listen!" The goblin was clearly with having been interrupted. His story was far too important to be interrupted by triviality. "Many of the big rollers have been panicking, which has led to a lot of shifts in the balance of power as the old bosses check out and go into hiding or start building private armies for security. Now what's important about this is that it has opened up a couple of opportunities for me as well." Pleased with himself, he mistook Gil's look of disinterest for one of disbelief. "But I need someone of power to back me up. And that's where you come in." His tone of voice changed as he moved into the sales pitch.

"Now, before you say no, consider this: With your backing I'll be able to push myself up to a position as one of the Twelve. This will give me quite a lot of say within the Underworld, and as an old friend and benefactor that by extension gives you a lot of say. And I know you need all the help you can get. " The goblin smirked and rubbed his hands together, entirely sure of his success.

"And what exactly would I have to do?" Now it was Gil's turn to smirk as the goblin squirmed at the question.

"All you'd have to do was stand at my side should any... obstacles appear." The goblin felt cold sweat creeping up his neck as he noticed how horrifically suspicious he'd made it sound.

"Out with it. What are these 'obstacles'?" Gil didn't beat around the bush.

"Okay, I'll be honest. I might need you to procure something for me." he confessed.

"I knew it. What is it?" Gil demanded, his eyes weary.

"A dragon heart." Tim said without a hint of irony.

"s***." This time Gil's look truly was one of disbelief. "A dragon heart? What the hell would you need something like that for?"

"Well, you see, I'm eligible for a position among the twelve, I'd be number eight to be exact, but there's no way to get a title without a dragons heart. It's a vital symbol of power and the only way to keep the equilibrium of among the clans. Usually they get handed down from one of the previous numbers but, with the state of things, I'd need to get ahold of one on my own." The mage's deeply shocked look was more than the goblin had expected, but he pressed on. "And it doesn't really matter how you get one. But I do have a suggestion."

"What?" Gilligan asked, fearing the answer.

"Richter has one." He answered, hintingly. It was truly an answer to fear.

"I'll think about it." Gilligan couldn't believe he actually meant to think on it. He needed all the help he could get, that part was true, but Ace would hardly be ready to part with his dragon heart. Not for a goblin. Never for a criminal goblin. He would have to steal it.

"You think about it. Contact me when you've decided. I'll be waiting." And with that the goblin returned to the shadows, heading home.


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The thought was daunting. Stealing a dragon heart from a senior member of the warlock council. Gilligan couldn't deny that the idea intrigued him. It was a challenge even more exciting than any of the hardship he'd suffered in the desert. He couldn't deny that he wanted it.

He picked up sleeping beauty, giving her a piggy back ride home. When they were almost there she stirred awake.

"Hey, why are you carrying me?" she asked.

"Because I didn't want to wake you. And I doubt I could have if I tried." he teased her.

"Well I can walk the rest of the way. We're almost there anyway." She managed to step down on the ground without falling, but still decided to lean against his shoulder for the short walk remaining. They opened the door to their run down building and walked up to her door; the third one on the left.

"You know," she said with that begging look in her eyes. " if you're still sad, you could stay with me tonight. I'll comfort you."
He wanted to. By the gods he wanted to, but he couldn't. Not tonight. Not like this. So, with what seemed like the greatest amount of self control he had ever been able to muster, he told her.

"No. You need to sleep, and I think this is something I have to sort out on my own." He couldn't believe his own words even as he spoke them. With a drunken look of deep disappointment Theresa accepted.

"Okay then... I guess I'll see you tomorrow..."

"Come by when you wake up. I'll have coffee ready." He tried to make the words sound normal and uplifting but instead they came out like a mockery of all things good to say. She closed the door behind her and he walked away feeling like the fool he was. Why had he turned her down? He couldn't even rationalize it to himself. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd accepted such an offer, and it had never ended badly before. He was still trying to explain his own behavior as he fell asleep.