Quest – Trade – Toady – Today
The quest was already well underway as Maxamillion ascended the dry and barren mountain. The hero had traveled across the ocean, through the pastures, and climbed the cliff-face of Sorcerer’s Gorge to reach this dirt road. The clouds loomed and rumbled. The further Max walked, the more difficult it became to see. Soon, thick ice-cold raindrops began to fall, forcing Max to pick up the pace.
Out of the fog, a light emerged. A tavern humming with the sound of people singing and dancing. A crash of thunder shook the ground, almost tossing Max off balance as their feet landed with a splash into a deepening puddle. Max swung open the door to the tavern with great relief, but the music responded to the entrance by falling to a halt. Silence. The people looked at Max with astonishment and curiosity.
“You here to make a trade?” asked the muscular bartender, standing behind the counter.
“Yes,” said Max, understanding the question clearly.
The people remained hushed, some straining to see over the shoulders of the taller folks that always stood too close. Max opened the satchel that had been carried since the beginning of the journey, and withdrew the treacherous toady at long last.
At the immediate sight of it, most people gasped, others simply covered their agape mouths with their hands. Setting the toad on the counter, Max grinned with mischievous delight. “Can someone please tell me who runs this fine establishment?” asks the toad.
A woman with long flowing grey hair emerges from the crowd that had been dancing. When she has found her place at the counter, mere feet from the little animal, she says, “I do.”
The toad, who blinked quietly as it took in the visage of the beautiful woman approaching, in response, gulped a bit too loudly and the whole place erupted with laughter.
Max slinked out the door and down the mountain while everyone scurried to get a closer look. “Today I am finally free,” thought Max, “of that demon’s trickery.”
This is part of a collection of short stories inspired by my guesses on Wordle.
