Just ask

Behind her moved something small and hunched over. She couldn’t make out what it was. It waddled as it walked. It’s long robes swishing the floor. It drew out a long blue mace; lightning crackled around it as he slowly brought it up from his belt.

Sasha was confused; she hadn’t heard anyone following her. But then she didn’t hear the giant red best that came from the mystery man’s side. Its head grazed the ceiling, and it’s body barely fit in the room, how this thing made it in she didn’t know or care. It’s gleaming scarlet eyes lit the area around it’s face just enough for her to catch the size of it’s enormous head.

The head moved closer to her, smiling it seemed. It’s lips parted to let her see it’s rows of jagged teeth. The small man behind it cackled maniacally.

***

Across the way Tikaya Ahmans and her accomplice, Voniv Blutorture, stood and watched the dragon move in closer to the Halfling woman caught in the motion trap. Voniv looked over and caught a glimpse of the fear that played in his associate, Tikaya, eyes. They widened as the dragon’s head moved slowly, and it’s lips parted just a little more, letting it’s forked tongue slip out between them.

"It’s not real," Voniv whispered, moving his lips closer to Tikaya’s ear, "It’s just an illusion."

Tikaya let her eyes slip from the magical beast to fall on Voniv’s mouth. His scaled lips parted slightly and a forked tongue slipped through them. Her eyes widened, and she looked back to the large monster across the cathedral.

Voniv’s laugh was so low it was barely audible. It rumbled through her like thunder.

"Had I known you were so swayed by simple magic, I would not have chose you to do this job," He closed his mouth and chuckled again.

Tikaya knew the weakness to illusions; if you didn’t believe in them they weren’t there. She closed her eyes and thought, "It’s not real. Voniv said so. It’s not real." She sighed a little and opened her eyes

When she opened her eyes again the dragon was no longer there, but the fear and awe on the Halfling’s face remained. Tikaya looked to Voniv and spoke, "I knew it wasn’t real! Do you think I am completely incompetent?"

"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.