The Magic Of An Alter Ego.

Prologue

The truth felt like a lie. Or maybe it felt like a lie since he didn't want to believe it.

"Are you really going to the capital tomorrow?"

"Didn't I just tell you that?" Argo chuckled, tossing the wore down sword to the ground and crossing his arms against his chest.

"Why!" Wilson urged and saw Argo flinch.  His pupils widened from the slit like state.

Wilson's voice lowered and he cleared his throat. "You've grown up down here, why are they moving up the mountain now."

It was hard to believe that it could be the last time he could be sitting down under the forest trees and talking. Argo was like a brother to him.

Argo ruffled his hair, "Don't be a whiner. My dad got an offer to work for the king himself."

With wide eyes, Wilson beamed up at his older friend.

"So he'll be a general so day!"

"Nope! He'll be working with the council and all of that." bragged Argo. Through it all was a bit of disappointment in his tone. "You know, politics and stuff."

"Besides, Ma thinks it's a bad thing that haven't been around other Halflings like me."

Wilson swallowed a lump in his throat he hadn't realized was there before.

He choked out the words. "W-were you hanging out with me too much?"

What had he done wrong? Was it just not good environment for a Halfling to be in. Always around humans and never around others like him. Sure the village lacked Halflings but it wasn't too bad.

In seconds, Argo had his head in a choke hold for a moment, ruffling up his hair and shaking out the worst of the thoughts.

Wilson yelped from the sudden attack, his hands clawing at the hold Argo had on him.

"Don't be stupid." Argo cackled. "They just think we'll be there for a year, maybe two or three or-"

"Forever."

Argo was quiet, his grip going a bit lazy and Wilson elbowed him in the gut to kill the silence. Argo choked on his next words, Wilson slipping out from under his arm and jumping to his feet.

"Forever is a long time." reminded Argo once he had recovered from the sneak attack.

"Says you, you live forever!"

"Yeah, but think about. Humans live for roughly one hundred years or so. You still have like ninety more years of possibly seeing me again."

There was a silence.

"But still! You'll be moving to the biggest city in the kingdom. At least tell me you'll come back and visit." pleaded Wilson.

Argo tapped his chin before snapping his fingers and pulling off his pilot goggles from around his neck. He held them out.

"Here, you can have 'em. Think of it like a farewell, we'll meet again kind of thing."

Wilson, unsure if it was a prank, hesitated before Argo could pull them away. The halfling rolled his eyes and with quick movement and a flash of blue, the goggles were placed on his chest.

"I'll get a new pair once we get to the city." Argo laughed when he saw Wilson's face light up.

Determination settled in once Wilson stopped admiring the blue and gold goggles from around his neck.

"When I get old enough, I'm going to be on the council!" he declared, jumping onto the old oak stump. "Then I'll return them to you."

Argo laughed. "The first human to be accepted into the biggest magic and political based crowd." His pointed teeth bared in a grin. "Now that will be one to remember for centuries."