Page 22 of The Tricksters Deception

“What do you last remember?” I ask.

“Honestly? Not much. I used to live in the village we’re approaching, before the village itself got burnt down. That’s when I moved in with my Aunt and Uncle. I assume they died in the fire, everyone did, but they were...different. If there’s any chance they had survived I’d like to know.”

“Were your parents Tricksters too?”

“Oh no. Um,” He pulled at the grass beside him as he thought of a way to finish his sentence, “, my mother was a Witch.”

“Really?” I was starting to understand him a little better. That’s why he think’s the witch’s amulet is something that can help find his parents. “So she wasn’t a Trickster?”

“No. The reason for a Trickster to be born is a mystery unto itself. No one knows why we’re suddenly born the way we are, the only indication is that some part of our heritage is Elf related.”

“Wait, so your sister?”

“Is just a human. That’s why she moved to the Capital, so that she can experience new things and still be safe.”

“What about your father?”

“Half-Elf. My grandfather was an elf. I guess a piece of that passed on to me but nothing to my sister.”

“Do you and your sister not talk much?” He sighs as he takes another drink.

“Honestly I struggle to remember what she looks like sometimes. It’s been nearly four years.”

“How old is she?”

“She should be twenty by now.”

“Ah I remember what it was like to be twenty.”

He gives me a curious look, “How old are you?”

“I’m twenty one.” I snicker. “And you?”

“I’m twenty four.”

“Ah, so not as much a spring chicken as I am.” This time he laughs, I mean really laughs at me.

Between breaths he manages to say, “The things that come out of your mouth. I sometimes wonder if you’re speaking another language.” I laugh as well, although I’m not really sure why. I didn’t think I had that much to drink yet, but I was certainly starting to feel it. It could be presumed that the alcoholic concentration in this drink is higher than the ones in my world. Leave it to a completely different realm to figure out how to make alcohol.

“It’s not my fault,” I exclaim, smiling, “, you have so many weird creatures and customs. This is nothing like New York.”

“Tell me about New York, then, what’s special about it? Pretend I’m stuck in your world and you have to explain things to me for once.” That felt like a challenge I could get behind.

Day Nine

I can hear a lot of chirping, and I’m a lot warmer than I thought I’d be. I slightly open my eyes and I realize I’ve fallen asleep alongside Corvu, well, mostly on him. What do I do? Do I move? If I wake him up he’ll know I fell asleep on him and that will just make everything really awkward. I close my eyes again when I feel him stir. I guess it’s too late to move away before he notices. Even though I couldn’t feel it a moment ago, when he shifts I can feel that his arm is wrapped around behind me and is sitting on my waist. Yeah, this was awkward. I don’t move and keep my eyes closed as he slightly leans up. That’s when I feel something on my face. It somewhat feels like he’s moving hair out of my face. My heart feels really funny. Maybe I’m hungover.

There’s a short scream. We both jerk awake fully and sit up, splitting away from each other as we do so. That scream was Gecko. I rush to stand and run over toward the crevice.

“Gecko?”

“I’m okay!” He shouts, coming into view. “I think I rolled the wrong way.” Looking to my side I can see how close the boulder he was sleeping on was to the edge. He was lucky it wasn’t any steeper but he seemed fine. Corvu approaches to my right. He’s looking at me strangely.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing. I’ll get him out.” Corvu picks up one of the blankets that was originally wrapped around the weapons and leans it down into the crevice. Gecko grabs it to pull himself up along the wall and he is back up with us in no time. I look him over a couple of times to make sure he really was okay. He doesn’t appear to have any major cuts or scrapes. He was lucky.

“Sorry I woke you.” Gecko says, going over to his backpack to search for something. I look over at Corvu who seems to want to say something. Perhaps I should be the first to speak to make him feel better.

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