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 What lies beyond the clouds?  (3 ratings)by El Sinistro Page 2 of 9 An inner voice resounded in brand’s head: ‘My name is Nixymanon, but you may call me Nixy, if you will.’ Wildly he gazed about, but he wasn’t able to locate the one who had shown the impudence of penetrating his mind. Mind speech was considered offensive when it was done without permission. The animal stared at Brand, ‘It’s me talking to you, lord Brand.’ He stared at the reptile like he saw water catch fire. ‘I’ll help you to win your bet. But, you’ll have to wager your life against me. And stop giving me those dumb looks or I’ll change my mind.’ Brand couldn’t believe what was happening. This little animal was mind speaking to him, and he made him an offer. Brand hesitated. Betting his life against a drake was taking a giant risk. He could never be certain the animal wasn’t having him on. He didn’t know much about drakes, so he couldn’t tell whether they were prone to fooling people like faeries were. Wizards were notoriously wicked, and maybe drakes reflected their owner's characters. ‘Don’t be condescending to me. I have got a mind of my own. You'll have to trust me. My owner treats me badly, and I hate him. But I am rightfully his, and there wasn’t much I could do about it until now. I’ll gladly take this chance and arrange the outcome of your bet. What other option have you got, hmm?’ The drake had attitude. Brand studied the little animal as it prodded across the tabletop, casting defiant looks at the men surrounding the table. There was something in the drake’s manner that made Brand yearn for it. Alright," Brand said, "I have got a proposition to make. All or nothing, but this time for real." "What do you mean?" the wizard asked. "I intend to bet the highest stake possible. I’ll wager my life against my losses¼ and your drake." He pointed at the animal on the tabletop. Brand couldn’t keep his eyes from the little creature. "You’ll wager what?" "My life," Brand said already regretting it. A hush fell over the taproom. . . . "Your life? That’s a mighty high bet." Brand swallowed. What in firm, solid earth was he doing? Had he actually placed his fate in the hands of a drake? ‘Dragon,’ the little creature corrected him. "Well yes," he answered the wizard, "I don’t care much for being chased from this inn all covered in pitch and feathers." "At least the stranger’s got spunk," one of the spectators said. "You want to bet your life against your debts and what?" "Your pet." The wizard gave him an angry look. Possessively he circled his arm around the animal. "What if I don’t feel like it?" "In that case, mighty wizard, I have lost all my earthly belongings, but you have lost your reputation. I am pretty certain wizards can make good use of lost souls." "You cannot possibly know what wizards desire or not," the wizard snapped, "But if you really want to become my mindless servant, I’ll grant you the honour." Again a hush fell among the spectators. Brand glanced nervously at the wizard while he waited for him to shuffle the cards. The wizard dealt the cards. Brand hardly dared to pick up them up. "You always got to be cool, calm and collected," his poker master used to say. He was hardly showing his poker face now, wasn't he? Now his life depended on it. What if he lost? Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001 El Sinistro, sffworld.com. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the author. The author has submitted the work in accordance with and in agreement with the following Submission Guidelines. |
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