The Birth of Fantasy

Chapter 62

The female Gnome leader had one of the guards escort us to where I could find Jarrax. As we followed the guards, I felt a slight shove and looked down to see a human child sprawled out on the ground.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" the child yelled up at me.

"I'd check your bags if I were you," the guard said.

"Hey! Not fair, Dempeet!" yelled the kid scrambling to his feet.

My hand went to my side magic bag and mentally went through the items stored inside. The bracelet with the copper coins was missing. I needed to make an anti-theft bag soon. The kid getting to his feet began running towards the side alley, and without much of a thought, I had thin pillars of earth burst from the ground, surrounding him.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know you were an adventurer! Please don't kill me. You weren't wearing your badge! Please! Please! I need money for my sister and the other kids! Please! Please don't kill me!" The kid was bawling his eyes out, snot running out from his nose.

"What's the deal here?" I asked, turning to the guard.

"That's Lucian, or Luke as he likes to be called. He's a resident pickpocket."

"Why hasn't anyone stopped him from stealing?"

The guard began rubbing the back of his head before speaking. "It's kind of a game for everyone as of late. With the blockade of goods coming in, food is running scarce. If he can lift anything off us, we let him keep it. He brings it back to the orphanage anyway, so it's not like we can fault him for feeding the hungry kids."

My heart broke a bit. Growing up in an orphanage, I knew the struggles of being unwanted. I dismissed the jail of earth and held out my hand. The kid stopped crying and dropped the bracelet of coins into my hand. I pulled the kid up, and he winced, ready for a beating. I just patted him on his head.

"How many little ones are with you?" asked Luin.

Luke looked up at Luin, and I could see fear still in his eyes before he spoke. "There are seven others besides my sister and me."

"We should feed them tasties, no?" Luin looked over at me.

"I think we should. Is there any place that still has food for sale?" I asked the guard.

"Yea, Jydnir seems to always have goods in stock. He probably has someone with a large magic bag leaving and coming back often. He's charging a steep price for all his good, though."

"Can you take us there? I can wait to meet Jarrax."

The guard agreed and brought us to the store. We were standing in a fully stocked shop in less than ten minutes. Jydnir, upon us entering, yelled no window shopping. The older Gnome was sitting down in a plush chair above the counter at the back. His perch gave him the sight of his entire store.

I grabbed a decent amount of smoked goods, including sausage and cheeses that could last a while. Seeing dolls for sale, I asked the young boy how old his sister was and if there were any other girls. His sister was the only girl, and she was only five years old. I picked up the loveliest doll and scuffed at its price of fifty silver but tossed it on the counter.

"That'll be Five gold and forty-five silver," the Gnome said as he climbed down from his perch and walked over to us on the counter.

"That's almost five times their worth!" yelled Dempeet at the shopkeep.

"Price of business with the war looming over us and all."

I tossed the coins onto the counter, almost bleeding me dry, and scooped the items into my magic bag. I handed the doll to Lucian, who instantly said he didn't like dolls. Everyone, including the shopkeeper, laughed at the boy.