Chapter 11 THE PRIZE WORTH CHOKING FOR
Magnus nearly choked on the food that had been halfway down his throat after hearing those words leave the announcer's mouth. He had to quickly grab a nearby cup of water to wash it all down. His companions could only stare at him in confusion as he hurriedly slammed the cup on the table, heaving a sigh.
"What did he just say?" Magnus asked frantically, looking towards Darren and Xyra. He had to make sure he had heard right.
"He was talking about the grand prize…" began Darren.
"But what was it?"
"Some kind of talisman," answered Xyra, not seeming too interested. "I think he called it Lazufeer, or something like that."
Without another word, Magnus abruptly stood up and ran from the table, nearly knocking his chair over in the process. He quickly approached the man handing out flyers, muttering apologies to the few unfortunate people who couldn't get out of his way. Almost all the papers were gone by the time he got there. However, Magnus didn't care about that. He didn't want an announcement. The only information that mattered he already knew.
Instantly, he got right up in the man's face.
"I need to enter," he told him, his eyes flashing with determination. "What do I do? Tell me!"
Despite Magnus's rather frenetic shouting, the man just smiled and rolled out a scroll he had been carrying. He then took out a quill and a vial of black ink from the pouch at his side.
"Your name, please?" he asked, obviously happy about finding another participant. His smile was a mile wide.
"Magnus. Just Magnus."
"I'm afraid I'll need a last name too."
Magnus frowned a bit at that, fidgeting just a little.
"… Coleman."
The man's quill strokes stopped for a moment as he glanced up, looking somewhat thoughtful.
"Coleman…" he repeated, apparently rolling it over in his head. "I think I've heard that name before…"
After a few moments of pondering, the announcer just shrugged and scribbled down Magnus's name quickly before rolling up his scroll. There was a large smile on his fat face as he gathered the remainder of his papers.
"Be at the stadium by sunset tomorrow," he called back as he went out the door. Magnus didn't even get a chance to respond. However, the time was no problem for him. He had all the time in the world, especially if the grand prize was a Lazufeer talisman. I certainly lucked out with this one. And to think I was going to blow right through Drester… Damn Gareth. He probably knew they'd be giving one out. How dare that old man lie to me? Just who does he think he is?
Magnus sighed deeply, calming himself down. The tournament wasn't until tomorrow. There was no reason to exhaust himself with anxiety. He had to be in top form if he planned on winning. Getting that talisman was the only thing that mattered. Losing was not an option.
Slowly he walked back over to the table where his two companions were and proceeded to sit down. Their eyes followed his every move. It's not like he could really blame them. He had just made quite the scene, especially after saying he had no interest in entering. What he had done was definitely a contradiction.
"I thought you weren't going to enter," began Xyra after he finally took his seat. "Why the sudden interest?"
Magnus was about to respond, but Darren spoke up first.
"He wants that prize," the hunter stated while reclining in his chair. "It's rare—one of the twelve Lazufeer talismans. Any sorcerer would do whatever it took to get one."
He glanced over at Magnus curiously.
"You're collecting them?"
"Sort of," Magnus responded as he began picking at some of his food again. "I'd like to have them all, but it may take a while."
"Just what are they?" asked Xyra, drawing both men's attention. They were looking at her as if she were insane. Apparently the two of them thought this was common knowledge. It's not like it was her fault that she didn't know. She wasn't a sorceress, nor did she have a strong interest in magical artifacts. Magic, maybe, but not the items.
"You mean you've never heard of them?" asked Darren.
Xyra only shook her head, earning her a sigh from the hunter.
"Do you at least know who Lazufeer was?"
That question quickly earned him a glare from the thief. She puffed out her cheeks a little, obviously insulted by his insinuation.
"Of course I do!" Xyra retorted. "She was a goddess. Everyone knows that. She's in enough stories, that's for sure."
"There's more to it than that," he stated, falling into a serious state. "Lazufeer was the only goddess to ever set foot in Dusthaven. She's also the reason that magic exists in our world. The story goes that before she was chased away—before she returned to heaven—she left behind twelve talismans, one for each element of sorcery. Those are what we call Lazufeer talismans."
"What do they do?"
"Some say," began Magnus, "that if a single person could collect all twelve, they'd ascend to heaven, but that was already attempted once, and nothing happened. There is, however, a different rumor. By using all twelve talismans, a sorcerer can gain enough power to destroy a demi-god."
"Demi-god?" asked Xyra, the confusion crystal clear in her voice. This was starting to get way over her head. She had never heard any of this before, even when she had been studying about magic and history during school. The average education was only for ten years, and most of what they learned was based on reading, writing, fundamental mathematics, magic knowledge, and history. It also included learning about the other races inhabiting Dusthaven since it was a significant topic and often determined the survival of those who traveled. The word "demi-god," however, was only slightly familiar—not enough so that she'd be able to remember what one was.
"A demi-god is part dragon, part demon, and part human—a perfect combination of each race's best qualities. It's the closest thing to a god that a mortal can be."
There was a moment of silence as they allowed everything they had just said to sink in. Xyra seemed to be having a hard time processing the information, but that was only natural. This was in no way an easy concept. The story of Lazufeer and the exact definition of a demi-god were actually much more complex than that, but it was best to keep things simple. Very few people knew much more about those two subjects. There had to be a general interest in order to explore the topics further.
"… But I still don't get it," she said. They just sighed, wondering what part she hadn't understood. Instead of looking confused though, she turned questioningly towards Magnus. "Why do you want those talismans?"
Magnus opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it. He began biting at his lip, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. Against all odds, he had been hoping to avoid this particular question, but in many ways it had been inevitable, especially considering his earlier reaction. It's not that he didn't know the answer or that he needed to keep it a secret; he just didn't know how to give it. There were actually a number of different reasons, but he couldn't possibly tell them. Not a single one of his motives was rational or believable.
"Just collecting them is an accomplishment," stated Darren, giving Magnus a small smirk. "Any sorcerer would love to get their hands on all twelve. They'd go down in history."
Magnus smiled a bit, realizing that Darren had spoken up simply to get him out of answering. The hunter had obviously noticed his discomfort, knowing that he hadn't wanted to respond to such a question or that he possibly couldn't. Hopefully he wouldn't be asked again. This was definitely not one of his favorite topics. That was a close one. I'll have to thank him later. The less they know, the better off they'll be.
The sorcerer stood up, a small smile on his face. He was done with his breakfast, so it was time to find a way to entertain himself for the rest of the day. Originally, his intent had been to leave after visiting Gareth, but now with the addition of his companions and this new development—the sorcerer's tournament—he had almost two whole days to waste. With so much time on his hands, there were plenty of things he'd be able to do, and sitting around wasn't one of them.
"Where are you going?" asked Darren curiously.
Magnus's smile twisted into a smirk as he began heading towards the door.
"Hunting," he responded as he left the restaurant. If he was going to be stuck in Drester, he was going to make the most of it. Demon slaying happened to be a fun pastime, and the payment wasn't too bad either. However, money wasn't his priority, seeing as how he had more than enough. The reason he hunted was because he enjoyed it, plus the task proved helpful. The fewer demons there were, the easier it would be to travel. Also, money wasn't the only form of payment. He could always ask for information instead. Gareth hadn't told him nearly enough.
He walked for a while longer down the bustling streets of Drester and soon found a familiar looking street sign hanging from a very exclusive tavern. There was one just like it in every major town and city, albeit this one was a lot bigger. It was a place for hunters to come and collect their payment for bounties and to find out about the newest demonic threats to society. Hopefully they'd have something for him to do that was worth his while and on par with his skill. He wanted to be entertained, not bored.
Magnus walked right up to the door and shoved it open, earning him a few looks from the tavern dwellers, but they soon returned their attention to their own business. Most were just sitting around and having a drink, swapping stories and information. A few were up front, talking to the men and women in charge of employment for the bounties. With his mind set, Magnus was quick to join them.
"Greetings," he said, startling one of the women behind the counter. He just smiled, his eyes containing his zeal. "Got any demons that need hunting?"