A Slice of Bread

Chapter 3: on and on

A loud set of knocking startled the fairy away from his project.

Agitated, he reluctantly dismissed the idea to ignore it entirely, and got up to address it.

"What!?" The fairy shouted to annoyed to say more.

The messenger she fairy glared with contempt, calmly uttering " you sure were dumb this time Dew, the Fourth Mage from the counsel called you over - again." With an exasperated sigh, deeming her message finished. She gracefully flys away, not wanting to linger with the troublemaker any longer than she had to. Everyone knew Dew's whole lineage was cursed.

Dew quickly grabbed his satchel and made his way out of his abandoned log. His stomach grumbled seeming to complain with him. He thought this was way to early to have to deal with the counsel. They should mind there own business. Outrageous! Just because he was a nobbit trader didn't mean they had to meddle in his affairs all hours of the day. He paid his dues, what could they want this time?! He concluded.

With a grumble and a huff he entered the hollow tree that held the large engraved letters 'DLLM' (Department of Loyal Law Makers). This was where all the high ranking fairies worked. He himself was not so fortunate as he failed Mustool, barely making it through the first year.

He came here so often he didn't even need a waiting card. As he easily walked pass the reception and byways of the long halls, he habitually drowned out all the fickle whispers of the fairies there. He had since earned the practiced ability to drown any sound out, rendering his ears numb.

Reaching his destination, he was ushered in the door by a annoyed Violet, mumbling complaints about his delay. Although he was perfectly on time.

Entering the room, the smell of lavender slapped him in the face as they vivaciously hung from the arches. Dew could see far into the village from the tall windows in the tree tower he was on.

But the view was disregarded as he shifted his focus to the 4 leaders in front of him as the door was shut. Hindering any escape- he had done so before, simply leaving when he lacked interest. The counsel knew better this time.

The oldest fairy looked over his spectacles leaning forward as his wooden chair creaked. And with a gravely voice he said "here again, Mr. Goppet?" Obviously not expecting an answer. As he subtly frowned and gestured for the others to speak, seemingly disappointed in his former student. He was a very honest man, and was most likely unaware of the others dark winding webs.

The woman who summoned him immediately directed the conversation with practice, repeating his alleged charges. Which after many repetitions was completely mundane, as she had declared these same charges before. Though nothing ever really changed as Dew had learned to just pay it away. For they did not truly want his actions corrected, they simply desired his assets.

at this point he had lost his earlier ambitions to be a respectable fairy, unlike his father who was in the fog business.

His fathers profession made life difficult for Dew and his mother, and back then he made a promise to himself that he would get a good legal profession, so they would not have to go through the same outcasting shame.

He had tried to make it right and go to Mustool, in hopes of having a common respectable job. But with his fathers reputation, he was unable to find any fairy willing to give him apprenticeship.

With no ability to have any other job, Dew fought hard to make his nobbit trade legal to comfort his mother. And suffice to say that was no easy feat.
This concept of legal nobbit trading was so controversial and new, there were specific rules created just for him. Rules that he debated for years before getting the approval of the counsel.

The most troublesome part was that even with a closed case and official permission. The counsel was still summoning him in with new complaints and payments fees, leaving him practically nothing. But he could not quit now, he had worked too hard, for too long, to be where he is. If he's doing the right thing, why is he suffering so? This was one of the few things he couldn't figure it out.

To put it simply, Dew had to give up a lot of freedom and dreams, to just make a living that he's starting to regret. His mother, though proud of him for winning this case. Was no longer around to see him. And without her, Dew had nothing left to fight for.

So at the young age of 27, Dew was really considering retirement.