The Costs

"Do you think you should be just standing there? Do what I brought you for!" Voniv's threatening voice sent a shiver up Tikaya's spine.

She quickly brought the spell to the front of her mind. She felt the runes form in her mouth and roll off her tongue as if it were her cradle language, something she didn't have to think about to speak.

Voniv stood impatiently waiting, he knew she was doing as asked, but she was so slow at it. He could cast a spell in the blink of an eye, but people of his race were always adept at casting spells, it came from their dragon forefathers. After a few seconds, just before he was about to strangle her for her incompetence, he began to feel lighter. He looked down, and didn't see his whole self; he was but a wisp. "She actually did it," He thought.

Tikaya watched the ethereal Voniv float toward the pedestal. Normal people wouldn't be able to see him, and neither would anyone unless they had on magic detection, and those silly thieves wouldn't be able to see him. They were just that? silly thieves.

Voniv floated over to the sword sitting completely in the open ready for the taking. He had made sure that the trap was made of two parts, one for each half of the room. He had disabled the one on his side; he was free to do as he wished. When he reached the pedestal, he noticed a wall of Kobolds blocking the view of his enemies. He turned back to material form, and took the sword; he took from his bag a sword that was a replica. Placing the replicated sword on the pedestal, he turned ethereal and floated back to the Tikaya.

*** Queeble slid form the darkness bouncing the mace on the palm of his hand. He didn't want to hurt the woman he had caught, he only wanted to scare her, and make her leave so he could take the sword he was here for. But she wasn't moving he was going to have to incapacitate her. He moved forward more, bringing his mace back behind his head. The light hit his eyes and for a second he thought he recognized the woman. He just figured it was the light playing tricks on him. Onward toward the woman he moved. He stayed hunched over; he kept his face covered partially. If this woman knew he was simply a gentle gnome he feared that the effect would be lost.

The dragon was little more than an outline of blue to him. All he could see was the horror on the?Halfling? This woman was a Halfling? Queeble's head instantly raised and he stared hard at the woman he had caught. Her black, almond shaped eyes were filled with tears. Queeble saw then a necklace that he recognized, a unicorn inside a crystal heart. The only person he knew that wore that necklace was Sasha. He dropped the dragon illusion spell instantly. A pinpoint of light came from his chest and the blue outlined dragon was gone.

***