Of selling souls

"What did you do that for?" Astra asked. "We have no intention of harming you."

The gnome did not answere her question but looked up from the device and studied them with the same expression of confusement. "This is most peculiar" he said. "How come the both of you did'nt combust?"

"That is what you meant for?" Astra exclaimed and raised the sword in her hand threateningly, taking a step towards the little gnome. At her feet Velus growled angrily.

"Calm down, calm down" he said hastily, putting the device back into his clothing. "If you were unaffected by my banisher then that must mean that you are either very powerful creatures of unholy Shadow, and I would have sensed that, or you are still human."

"Still human?" Astra asked perplexed. She still held the sword ready for attack. "What else would we be?"

"If you had sold your souls, as I first though, you would have been turned into wretched vessels of evil. Living puppets of the Shadow." the gnome said. "I'm glad that's not the case, but I don't see how else you could have lost your souls."

"But we did sell our souls!" Fred said, his voice full of alarm. Astra turned around and gave him a furious glare.

"Will you never learn to keep you mouth shut!" she hissed.

"That is strange indeed" the gnome said "it seams clear that your souls do not belong to the shadow-world, but there are very few other enteties that is capable of claiming the soul from a living human." His initial dismay appeared to have been completely replaced by fascination and curiosity now. "Might I ask how you came to sell your souls?"

Fred looked at Astra. "Oh go ahead!" she said exasperated. "Tell him your whole lifes story why don't you?"

"Well," Fred began, "to put it short, yesterday we found ourselves on the top of this very mountain. None of us were equiped for the cold winds and the situation looked dire. It was then that we were aproached by a goblin who claimed his master had an offer for us. He could make us warm again in exchange for our..."

"Hang on, hang on," the gnome interrupted. "Are you telling me you sould your souls just to keep warm!?"

"Um... well, only for a year and a day" Fred said sheepishly. "And otherwise we would have forzen to..."

The gnome interrupted him again "A year and a day? I've never heard of a soul being sold only for a limited time..." He scratched his chin, apparently thinking this over. Then he snapped his fingers. "But I've forgotten our tea! Please have a seat my friends!" He ushered them toward a table with four chairs, all gnome sized, in the corner of the small room. "I'll be right back with some nice tea and we can continue this talk." He scurried away through a smaller doorway, leaving Fred, Astra and Velus alone.

1. They sitt down on the small chairs
2. They are not sure if they can trust the gnome

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree