Neive - Snippet 1

“Zachary, why in the seven hells do you think I’d even be remotely interested in helping a bloody mage like you?” Was Neive’s censored reply. The exact message I won’t convey to avoid unneeded offence. “No doubt it’s some object of hocus-pocus that won’t do anyone any – oh?”

She’d cut herself off. I glanced up from the intricately decorated egg that had been ever so interesting to polish while the two had been mouthing off at each other. The secret technique to pacify my new employer had escaped me until that point, yet it proved remarkably simple. Zachary held up a pendant of sorts, obviously old and sporting engravings I absolutely itched to get a closer look at. The golden metal reflected the greed in Neive’s. She looked as if she would have snatched it had pride not kept her from it.

“I’ll trade you one piece of hocus-pocus for another.” Zachary sounded smug, even having the gall to swing the pendant back in front of my ever-irritable host.

“Name it.”

“Chalice of Insert Fancy Name here.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” You could see the whites around Neive’s eyes, they were open that way. “That thing’s out on the border, down some bloody dungeon or tomb or something stupid and gods know what or who might be guarding it! It’s more than that Chalice is worth for me to hire someone!”

“Get it yourself.”

“And now I know you’re nuts.” I’d hurried back to my polishing as soon as the conversation turned bad, really not wanting to become the victim of second-hand rage. Neive’s pacing clattered behind me and I could tell she was chewing the end of her braid. Whatever she wasn’t, Neive was predictable at the very least. Apparently Zachary knew it too and didn’t say anything. Neive didn’t disappoint.

“I want extra. If I’m going to half work a while I want compensation.”

“Neive, you know who’s interested in this! You know he’ll pay through the – “

“I could watch the store for you.” Hope violently pushed my curiosity to the side at the thought of a week or two without an angry taskmistress looming over me. Speaking up would have proved fatal if looks could kill and any sensible man would have kept quiet after both store-keeps had finished glaring at me. Unfortunately I was lacking in the sense department. “I mean, I know my way around now and Burl can keep an eye on me, and I promise not to – “

“I don’t think so.” I was surprised by Zachary being the one to cut me off, though Neive’s face told me I’d be getting an earful from her later. Now I wasn’t particularly short for my age yet, as Zachary stalked over, I got to experience just how a gnome might feel when confronted by some human teenager. Strangely long fingers crept their way to hover at either side of my head and I tried to pull away, worried he might be planning to shake me or something of the sort. It was only later, after a faint tingling in my skull had vanished, that I realised I was missing about five of my life, specifically from that afternoon. At the time though it felt as though I escaped his grasp, that previously mentioned tingling spreading slowly through my jaw. I also had come to the conclusion that Zachary’s eyes were periwinkle blue. The elder man’s smile was decidedly smug.

“My mother was right.” The man who invented the wheel couldn’t have sounded more pleased with himself. “Your fate is crossed. You shall accompany Neive on her trip.”

Wait a second. “Your mother?”

“The woman you so politely barged into yesterday.” Neive was stifling laughter. Oh. So that’s how it was.

“Wait, what?” My voice came out disappointingly squeaky in light of these announcements. “Your mother said? You say? What’s going to happen to me if I don’t?”

“Oh, something bad. Amputation, plague, death, something along those lines.” For talking about death Zachary was certainly flippant about it. “Prophecy isn’t a precise art, you know.”

As the door slammed, Neive’s eyebrow rose in Zachary’s general direction. To say she was amused would be right on the letter, and Zachary’s chuckling only added to it.

“You didn’t see anything, did you.” It was almost rhetorical.

“Course not, you know I can’t do that shit.” Zachary replied, rubbing at one eye with the ball of his hand and flashing her a grin. “You should thank me, though. I got you a pack-horse for free.”

“The day I thank you is the day I grow a set of horns and a fluffy bunny tail.”

“That can be arranged, you know.”

“I think I’ll pass.”

AN: As the title says, this is just a Snippet so it's unbetaed, unchecked and obviously incomplete. See the Chalice name.

Been writing a little in my breaks at Uni, since I write best with people around. Wanted to play with Neive a little (Please see link link) and somehow Zachary somehow crept in there. The narrator is Jered, who hasn't much of a personality nor appearance yet.

I don't usually work in first person, so please tell me if you think it's working alright, or if you think it sounds a little forced. 3