Chapter 19

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In the comfort of his room, Mern smiled at the sight of the treasure room. His smile froze for a moment as he assessed the players in his little game. The two females he could trust, or manipulate, to do as he wished. That was his sole reason for befriending them, but the three males... they posed an interesting problem. While the magical lock on the entrance wasn't his doing, he was curious as to whose it was; the enchantment on the tunnels, however, had been his own doing. He was in Renard's camp long enough to suspect the two humans were there for fear of the outside world, and once manifested, their fears would ensnare them in their strands. He couldn't have been more wrong, worse was how badly he judged the mage and her friend. Had it not been for the Dwarf, Galin, they would've been the ones trapped and he would've taken what little magic they had to enhance his own. At least, he could've used Berek and Gilliam if he had to, or he was certain it was a possibility.

Now, with his original plans torn asunder, he picked up the pieces and tried to rearrange them to fit into something else. Mern sensed a great power emanating from the fighter since he first saw the young man, but Berek trusted his instincts too much to be a reliable minion. Gilliam the cleric? He had a better chance of sharing the throne of the Gods with their beautiful warrior queen Valka than turning the cleric against his beliefs. Galin was too compassionate and grounded. Mern was left with little choice but to continue with the other two.

Mern glanced at the dragon orb in its stand off to his right. "Soon, my Master, soon, you shall have what you deserve." His eyes could only remain on the orb for another moment before he was forced to turn away. Its beauty was both a blessing and a curse for him. Too beautiful to look upon for long, but too beautiful to look away. Just like his master. That was part of the reason he was ensnared by her. The weakness of his body doomed him to servitude; perhaps, it could do the same to the most dangerous pieces in his game. Mern sat back in his chair. How to make use of such a weakness? His mind poured over different scenarios as a general would examine his plans before a great battle, always probing for a weakness in the armor.

*****

A low whistle escaped from Berek as he gazed on the contents of the chamber. The others arrived the same moment as he and Gilliam, and aside from the Dwarf's exclamation, no one else spoke for the longest time. After what felt like an eternity, Janessa stepped forward and picked up a ruby the size of his hand.

"Jenny!" Viola wanted to shout, but her voice came out as a hissing whisper of warning.

Startled, Janessa spun around as she slipped the ruby into a pouch. "What? There's no one here. We found it so we get to keep it."

"I don't think that's what she meant." Gilliam's voice was tight as he fought for control. He had agreed to this because he didn't think the rumors were true. But now that they'd become reality, he disliked what he knew would happen. This wealth belongs to the city of Hope, he thought. Do we have a claim? As Gilliam thought one thing, he spoke another. "It may well be cursed. I doubt anyone would leave something this valuable unguarded or forgotten." He emphasized the final word to make a subtle argument, which earned him a look from his nephew. He ignored the look. "Perhaps, only the rightful owner may take it from here."

Everyone remained quiet for a moment as they digested the cleric's words. To Gilliam's astonishment, only Berek and Galin seemed to hear his subtle meaning. "He's right, lass. Best do a check before we try to take any more."

Janessa squirmed, not at what was said, but as a child would when they were told they couldn't play with their favorite toy. She looked to Viola. "I don't feel any different, but you'd better do it anyway." Janessa fought to keep her eyes on her friend, or any of the companions against the will her eyes seemed to express about returning to the treasure.

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