Fools Gold

Fools Gold

His name was Rick Raid, and he craved adventure. It wasn't for gold alone that he did it, but mainly for the thrill. A man's soul is a delicate thing, if it doesn't receive its nourishing needs, it rots like a forgotten flower in a pot. Rick had a need for adventure, and so he came to be wandering on a skinny brown steed, acquired by the gold from his last adventure. Through a bushy green forest, to a destination he had heard of in Holmsville called: ‘Oats Pub’. There was a sign on the pub notice board, which could barely be seen, through the clouds of delightful grey smoke, which read: ‘Adventurer needed in Rover Town in Elders Forest. Reward: Ten Gold pieces. Meet: Chief Hobin.’ Now that was a prize he couldn't walk out on, so he snatched up the sign and left the next morning, right after clearing his head from a massive cheap ale hangover.

It was half a day’s ride out to Rover, and he reached it right around the sun blazing summer noon. The forest finally broke into a large clearing. The village was composed of thirty or so clay houses sitting on either side of the small Rover River, which gave it its name. A wooden bridge crossing over it, to allow passage. Rick immediately noticed big wooden barrels leaning on a big clay wall of one of the buildings, noting it as the local tavern, and headed over to it. Children were playing in the streets; he recognized the games of ‘Skip and Slap’, ‘The Thief’, which he had played as a child. When he entered the village he dismounted and walked his steed. The children immediately left their games and came running after him, feeling his horses legs and pulling on its tail. The horse neighed in disapproval. He was relieved when he finally reached the tavern entrance.

Ah! The familiar smoke greeted him, as he swung open the tavern door. There were five round wooden tables, full of cracks and rum stains, which made Rick feel right at home. Most tables were full with glaring rough men. By one of them was a chubby bearded man, who's stomach overflowed his belt by a measure, a big golden chain round his neck, signified some importance or other. The man looked up, noticing Rick he smiled a broad gold-tooth filled smile, signaling Rick to join him.

"Bartender!" yelled the man.

"Wots you want Hobin?" Shouted back an old voice from behind the kitchen wall, followed by an old man sticking his head out, and peering interestedly at Rick.

"Give us a round of your good ale fine patron." Said Hobin, licking his big lips. Rick sat down at his table looking him straight in the eye. Hobin avoided his gaze with a smile.

"Chief Hobin I presume." Said Rick just as the old bartender placed his mug of ale before him.

"You presume correctly, my good sir. And you are here for the gold?"

"Aye, that I am." Replied Rick rubbing his itchy nose. Rick had a sensitive nose, it could smell a rotten deal and immediately began to itch. Something was making it itch now, but he ignored it, for there wasn't much he could do about it. Anyway he would find out later what was amiss.

"Very good." Said the chief, his face suddenly twisting to gloom. "My son has fallen ill." said he, "A rare disease that no regular cleric can cure. By way of luck I have managed to come into the acquaintance of a unicorn. He is traversed in the ways of healing, but he needs a certain amulet to help him cure my son. Sadly the amulet is being held by an evil dragon, that dwells behind a waterfall, just upstream from here." Rick sat listening attentively. It wasn't such an unusual case, compared to other adventures he had gone through, but something about it stunk and he couldn't put his finger to it. "To open the cave door behind the waterfall, you must get a mermaid from the place where the Rover meets the Elders sea. You must convince her to sing the song of her elders, she will know it by heart. To find the unicorn, you must go to the forest and blow this horn three times. He untied a horn from around his big waist, and passed it over. "Go now, every moment my son suffers is too much..." Rick rose from his seat, and took a sip of ale from the mug.

Standing in the forest, he looked around to make sure he was alone. He freed the horn from its string, put it to his lips and blew. After the third call he looked up. All he could see were trees and birds escaping the loud horn noise. He waited and waited, but still nothing happened. He sat down. He fell asleep and was awakened by something rubbing against him. He looked up and there was the scariest looking black unicorn, with a horn on its nose the color of blood. A ghost grey colored sack hanging from his neck. The unicorn was glaring into his eyes.

"Stop that." said Rick shoving the Unicorns horse face from his. The unicorn frumpped.

"Get up human." Said the unicorn in a deep voice, with a slobbering horse accent. "We have a long flight ahead of us, get on my back."

"Took you some time, I thought you would show up after the third call." Rick wiped his swollen eyes and picked off leaves from his hair and clothes.

"I did show up after the third call. Come on, let’s not waste time on formalities." Rick stood up, and climbed on back of the black steed.

"You have a name? I'm Rick."

"Azazel."

The unicorn spread out his wings and took flight. Rick held on to his long mane.

"Woohoo! " Let out Rick, receiving a disdainful look from Azazel.

They flew following the Rover River for a few hours until they could see the Elders Sea spread out beyond them.

"Wow, I've never seen how the sea spreads out from such height. I thought the end of earth was much closer!" shouted Rick excitedly overcoming the noise of the wind.

"Fool humans..." Muttered Azazel under his breath. Azazel landed behind a big rock just near the rivers entrance to the sea.

"Now listen to me human! Take the mirror from the bag around my neck, use it to reflect the sun into the water close to shore, and make sure you are not seen. Soon a mermaid will step out of the water and crawl towards us. They cannot resist shining objects since life in the depths is so colorless and dull. You will grab her, and use the rope in my bag to tie her arms behind her back. Remember you are doing this for a good cause. We will explain to her later why we need her help. You will convince her!" Rick found it very hard to believe anything to do with this hell spawned unicorn could be connected with good, but he went along with it, not having any proof for his case.

He did exactly as he was told, and after some time a mermaid came out crawling along the shore towards the rock. He couldn't see her do to his hiding, but he got a good glimpse of her shining fish scaled tale and long hazelnut hair. It seemed to him that she was beautiful, and this made him excited. She reached around the big rock and saw Rick and Azazel standing looking at her. She was beautiful.

"Who are you?" she was startled.

"We need your help." said Rick.

"Just grab her..." whispered Azazel angrily.

"There is a sick child. We need you to come with us, so you can sing your song to open the rock." A look of horror crept up on her face and she started sliding back shaking head to toe.

Azazel charged and caught her by her dress and swung her over his back.

"Let’s go human, grab her hands quick!" Rick jumped up on Azazels back and held her hands behind her back. She was very strong limbed from swimming and got free smacking Rick full in the face. He barely managed to tie her down finally. He let out a breath of air and collapsed on Azazels back.

"I will never open the cave for you, you beasts!" She screamed and bit Azazel on his back. Azazel yelped and Rick tied her mouth with a cloth from his pocket.

They flew back up the river and eventually passed over Rover Town. They continued upstream until they reached the waterfall and landed softly on a patch of grass.

Rick jumped off Azazels back and tried to help her off. She smacked him with her tail in the face and he fell backward.
“Fine be like that,” said Rick rubbing his cheek, “you can get off by yourself.” The mermaid slid off the horse gently lying on the ground.

“Untie the cloth from her mouth,” commanded Azazel, “She needs to sing for us.”

“You untie it.” Said Rick fearing for his fingers. Azazel glared at him. Rick gently reached out and pulled the cloth away from her mouth, pulling back his hand quickly.

"I will never sing." she said sullenly, "you can kill me right now."

"Take the small bottle from my bag, and let her drink it human."

“The name is Rick." he reached into the bag and found a small bottle, with green snot like substance inside.

"I don't know what he told you human, but he is evil. If you let him have the amulet he..."

"Silence!" interrupted Azazel and charged up to her face placing his horn at her neck. "She is lying! The mermaid fear for their treasure, and care not for mankind. Give her the drink now human, before the child losses his chance." Rick hesitated but gave her the drink at last, holding her head and spilling it into her mouth. She spat it out at his face.

"No matter," said Azazel, "it only needs to touch her tongue. "

They waited a few moments and the mermaid smiled at them. It was clear she was under some intoxication, and was glazed eyed and beaming.

"Now sing for us the elders song sweet mermaid." Azazel murmured gently.

Her voice rose in a beautiful melody mixed with the light swaying of the wind. Rick stood transfixed as if planted to the ground, like a lone seaweed.

"As dragons hide amongst the hill and under water they hold still. A power lasts to guard the weak and overthrow Azazels peak."

It took him a moment to come out of the trance but by that time Azazel had already swiped up the green bottle from his hand with his teeth, and sprayed it into Rick’s mouth. Rick staggered and fell.

"You... But why?"

"Hahahahaha." laughed Azazel. "You humans are too dumb to understand the meaning of true power."

Rick lay on his back. He saw Azazel fly into the waterfall and a huge rock move out of his way. It made Rick laugh out loud. He saw Azazel fly out of the cave followed by a dragon. They fought and fought. He saw Azazel turn into a human, and cast a huge fire ball at the dragon that fell limp at his feet. Finally Rick started feeling normal again, and his head started clearing from the cloud that shrouded his thinking. Azazel was standing next to him in human form. He seemed even more evil, with red blazing eyes showing from his charcoal black robe

"Fools all of you. To think that legless fish-men turned me into a horse with the help of an old cripple breathed dragon. Now I will avenge all!" He raised his hands to cast another spell on the fallen dragon. Rick struggled with the drunk feeling, and finally took out his knife. He threw it with all his power at Azazel. It whizzed through the air missing Azazel by a long shot, but not escaping his attention. Azazel spun on him furiously.

"I have miscalculated the effect of the potion on humans." at that instant the dragon rose and fell face forward on Azazel swallowing him whole. The dragon coughed up black smoke and spit out an amulet.

"That's what he really wanted." said the mermaid picking up the amulet. "it allowed him to turn back into the evil sorcerer he was once, but it also made him as vulnerable as a human..."

"What about the chiefs’ child?" asked Rick.

"Azazel has a cave not far from here. The child might be there if he still lives." said the mermaid.

They flew out together to the cave and found the child there bound and gagged. They untied him and he went wild with screaming, crying, laughing. Finally he was extremely excited about flying on a dragon, and forgot all about being kidnapped. They returned him home to his father the chief, who admitted to having lied about his son being sick at home. But all was forgiven when he handed Rick the ten gold pieces. Rick parted with the entire group and continued on his way looking for his next adventure.

The End.

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