The Staff of Naught Read Free Page A

are reports in town as well, skeletons in the graveyard, skeletal skulls walking across the floor, skeletal hands flying through buildings, they can’t all be coincidence, something is going on!”
    “And it will be investigated Myris,” said the mayor who put down his drink with a thump. “But, we can’t be seen as panicking.”
    “I … I … don’t … well.”
    “I’ve already begun the investigation, Shamki and Humbort are doing a little work for me and what I want you to do is find that urchin, the clever one who sent the entire town guard into the river chasing after the ruby fish last year, he has a little sister as I recall. Find him and get him here.”
    “That little kid cost us a lot of money, what do you want with him?”
    “I’m not going to explain myself to you Myris. It’s enough to know I want him here. Are you going to do it or not?”
    The little man stomped his foot onto the cold stone floor, looked out the window behind the mayor, and then up to the ceiling his nostrils flared and his hands twitched at his side. “I’ll do it but I don’t understand why you trust the stupid half-orc and his moron cousin.”
    “Oh, and send in the witch woman who lives over across the river, she’s clever.”
    “I meant to tell you mayor, it’s Hazlebub who reported the walking skull, she’ll confirm my story, I’ll get her right away your honor!” With that the thin man bolted out the room and his footsteps echoed down the hallway.
    “The door!” shouted the mayor towards the receding figure who quickly reappeared and shut the door behind him. At that moment a small wooden panel beneath the dragon head swiveled and revealed a swathe of green hair on top of a lithe girl whose waist had an elf sort of look but whose overfull bosom revealed some other blood in her veins. “By the gods he’s an idiot,” she said, came forward, and leaned over the desk in front of the mayor. “Why do you put up with him?”
    “Idiots are useful,” said the mayor with a wave of his hand. “Sometimes very useful.”
    “We need to be careful about that witch Hazlebub, she’s up to no good spreading rumors about walking skulls, and I know about Unerus the Urchin as well. That boy and his little sister are not to be trifled with.”
    “I’m not a fool Lousa,” said the mayor with a grin. “I’m well aware of what Hazlebub is up to and that boy as well. But, Tanner is not an idiot and if he says the dead are swarming up at shipwreck point then the dead are swarming. Shamki is due in with his report from the cemetery this afternoon but something strange is going on and I’ll be damned if I let Baron Avakubia or that lap dog colonel of his horn in on my action.”
    “I know you’re not a fool Mayor at least not when it comes to money,” she said and moved close to the mayor and breathed in his ear, “but perhaps more foolhardy in other matters?”
     
Chapter 3
    Myris was once again in the hallway this time muttering to himself as he paced back and forth casting occasional glances at the closed door. “Damn fool mayor, let that woman influence him, damn witchy woman and damn that kid,” the last with emphasis as he looked at the patch of cloth wrapped around his right hand and he remembered the incident which caused the wound. He kicked at a stray cat that wandered in from the courtyard but missed badly and the black and white thing glared at him with yellow eyes and then yawned luxuriously and began to lick itself. “I’ll be mayor one day.”
    “What was that Myris,” came the lilting voice of the young woman as she suddenly appeared at the opposite end of the hallway her ears seemed to actually swivel as she sashayed towards him.
    “Hello Lousa,” said Myris folding his arms across his chest but he could not keep still his eyes as they strayed to her bosom, revealed almost completely in a green and gold frilly gown that ran in two long strips from her shoulder to her waist where it was bound by a