Legends: The Folklore Trilogy Book 2

Chapter 25-Where We Learn About Paper

"Yes, actually," I said immediately. Isaac and Deynan looked at me, confused, as I reached over to get something out of the sack. It was sitting on top, as if it had expected me to pull it out.

I took out the quill and scroll and held them out to Fivendor. "Are these safe to use?"

He frowned and beckoned for me to place them on the table. He picked up the scroll, which was only a little smaller than he was. He scrutinized from a couple of angles, then placed it back down. He unrolled the scroll, not having to hold it down from rolling itself back up. He frowned deeper. He rubbed the parchment with his thumb and forefinger. He looked up at me. "It only responds when you write on it?"

I nodded. He looked as though he had expected this. He handed the quill to me. "Write 'hello', please."

I did as he said, frowning as I noticed that my quill handwriting hadn't improved much since the first time I wrote with it. Immediately, the scroll responded in the curly silver script I knew so well.

"What do you want?"

He frowned. "Does it do this often?"

"What, respond like a jerk?" I asked. "Yes."

He quirked an eyebrow. "What else does it do?"

"It gives advice on how Legends transform. We're Legends," I added.

He nodded distractedly. "So it gives advice, remembers things, and has a personality?"

"That about sums it up," I said looking at Isaac and Deynan, who shrugged simultaneously.

Fivendor sat back in his chair. "I think," he said slowly, "that you have a Bound Imp."

Glynneria gasped. "Are you sure?" He nodded gravely.

"Um..." Deynan said awkwardly.

Fivendor looked at us thoughtfully. "An imp is a magical creature of mischief. They can take a material form, but often float around as wisps, so most people cannot see them. They are the reasons for many unexplainable  so-called accidents in the human world. What you have here," he said, gesturing to the scroll, "is a bound imp. While it was in wisp form, a sorcerer of considerable power trapped it in the scroll, linking it to the quill and adding a few more technicalities, like making the only communication be with the first person who uses it, and, most likely, the creator."

"So you're saying," Isaac said, his eyes growing wide, "that the PAPER is actually an IMP?"

He nodded. "It's a very complicated spell. I've never seen anything like it. No one has ever tried to bind an imp for a GOOD purpose before. Usually to cause trouble."

"Can we name it?" Deynan blurred out suddenly. I gave him a weird look. "It probably already has a name."

"Actually," Fivendor interjected, "it probably doesn't. They don't feel the need to have an identity as strongly as we do. They don't think on it much."

"Please, please, please can I name it?" Deynan pleaded, looking at me with big eyes, oddly serious.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," I said, still a bit weirded out by the fact that the paper was an imp.

"Yes!" he cried, pumping a fist in the air. "It shall now be called Tinder."

"Isn't that the stuff you use to start a fire?" Isaac asked, amused.

"Exactly," Deynan replied with relish.

"Oh my," Glynneria chuckled.

Fivendor smiled, a sight I hadn't expected to see on his weathered face. "Well, that works I suppose. You should let him know."