Fight or Flight

Chapter 15

Simon

I turned around and began walking down the street again, for what had to be the hundredth time. This was crazy. I shouldn't even be thinking about doing this. It was stupid. It was an insane risk, and was likely to end up with me being caught and all the Wellsprings in danger. In more danger, since we still couldn't be sure if the dragons were legit or not.

It was one thing to encounter a mage in a busy tavern. Where there were dozens of other people for cover, and the mage was occupied on the other side of the room. And even that was a huge risk – better to just grab my cloak and leave if a mage walked in, as soon as I could safely do so without attracting attention.

It was another thing entirely to walk into one of their shops and try and get their attention.

But there was no other way to test out what Enola had told me. If I wanted to know what effect the crystals would have on a mage, then I would need to approach a mage. With all the risks that brought with it.

I took a deep breath as I passed the small shop with the enchanter's sign over it, quadruple-checked my shields, hoped for the billionth time that Enola wasn't lying to me... and I pushed open the door to the shop.

Various magical trinkets and charms were arranged on shelves and counters around the shop, just like any regular shop might do. I tried not to gawk at the various spells around me – and I certainly didn't look back at a thin loop of metal on one counter, with a display tag suggesting it was used for cooking – and instead focused on the person behind the counter. The room was empty aside from him, which meant he was probably the mage.

"Excuse me – I'm a little lost, and was wondering if you cou-" I was halfway through asking for directions to the carpenter when the man grimaced and leaned away from me. He held up both his hands, palms facing me, and I stopped in mid-stride.

"I'm sorry, but you will have to leave. If you need directions, ask one of the town guards; this is a place of business." The mage lowered his hands, only to bring one up to rub at the side of his head.

Okay. That was interesting.

I frowned as if I didn't know what was going on, and looked back around the empty shop. "Is something wrong? I just have a quick questi-"

"Yes, something is wrong. Whoever made that charm you are wearing was an incompetent fool. It's obviously in the process of falling apart, and is fouling the air around you. I would advise you to be rid of it – and I am taking that advice and being rid of it myself. Get out of my shop. Now. Before I call for the guard." The mage continued to rub at the side of his head, but lifted his other hand to point angrily at the door.

"Of course. Sorry to bother you." I turned and, to my relief and to the mage's, left the shop as quickly as I could.

I tried not to smile as I started walking down the street. That was definitely interesting. Enola had been telling the truth, then – being around so many of the crystals for so long did have an effect on a mage's senses. A painful one, from the looks of it.

And it clouded things enough that they couldn't tell what the cause was. The mage hadn't accused me of being around crystals, but had instead assumed the shoddy charm I wore was the cause. That meant he wouldn't know I had done it deliberately, or suspect me of hiding something else.

All of that was very good news for Wellsprings. If the dragons turned out to be lying to us about a safe haven, then at least we could find a safe future as workers in a crystal mine. Not exactly a glamorous lifestyle, but still an improvement over a life constantly on the run, or of always living on the edges of civilization.