"Reenius! How have you been you old sprite!"
The elder sprite sat on the edge of the table and wobbled to keep his tiny woodlike frame upright. Hugging a mug of ale that was the size of him. His beard crusted at the edges and a silvery gray. he looked up at Teller with glazed eyes and hiccupped.
"Do -hic!- I -hic!- know you? -hic!-"
Renzel looked at Teller questioningly. Teller sat down and poured himself an ale.
"I'd say not. Not since my days as a battle mage. Since then I have changed. Not so much in attitude but perhaps aptitude? And I must say the order renamed me, so I'd like to think you wouldn't know me Reenius, no."
The sprite glared at Teller for a long while and then waved him off.
"Ehhhh don't be coming at an old sprite with yur' riddles ya hear?! Let me enjoy my ale."
Reenius leaned back and swigged his ale down. Losing his balance and falling from the table. Teller reached out a hand and caught the small elder before he hit the ground.
"Git yur' filthy paws off of me! -hic!- I'm an elder sprite! -hic!- I can have yur' head removed! -hic!- "
Renzel shook his head.
"This isn't getting us anywhere, step aside."
Renzel took Reenius from Teller's hand and locked eyes with him.
"Termentia Morden"
Reenius jerked and reared. His beard softening and losing it's crusty exterior. His eyes began to clear and his expression changed to fear and shock.
"What have you done to me?!"
With a thorned finger the old sprite jabbed Renzel's thumb. Renzel shrieked and dropped him to the floor. The thorn grew to the length of Reenius and then fell forward from his finger where it landed in the old man's other hand, being brandished as a rapier.
"Stay back black mage! I know yur' type boyoh."
Renzel cursed under his breathe, sucking blood from his hand, Teller chuckled and continued to sip his ale.
"I assume you knew the little bastard would react this way?"
Teller grinned.
"Of course, I have seen this."
Reenius looked at the Magi back and forth confused for a moment and then surprise swept over him.
"By the brothers of Lazarus, as I live and breath. Teller the great."
Teller nodded, "Teller the wise now-a-days. But I'll take the title from you none the less."
Renzel sighed, "I remove all of the ale from your mind and what do I get in return but a pricked finger."
Reenius looked down at his rapier and shook his head.
"Eh that doesn't sound like me mage, yur' probably in need of a few more pricks though. Touching people without their permissions and what not."
Teller choked on his ale at that remark. Trying to contain his laughter at the event that had just unfolded in front of him. Reenius leapt onto the table and walked over to Teller, using his thorn now as a cane.
"So what do I owe the pleasure? Teller the wise and company."
____
After many hours of story telling and mugs upon mugs of local Mead, Reenius had finally been caught up with the story of their travels. However no business had taken place and Renzel, without a word spoken had slipped out of the Oaken Way and made his way to the Night cap's hand across the street. He was in desperate need of a bath and sleep. But sleep came before anything else and before he knew it he was plunged into a black sea, drifting upon a wooden raft.
"Is this a dream?"
The ocean was who Renzel was speaking with, for it was alive. Moving like a heartbeat in the void. Renzel could feel the pure fullness in him that this ocean of deep nothingness was a living thing. And this ocean, in fact began to respond.
"A dream is not real, I am real. I have always been real.
Since before the lands of man and their precious mortality. "
"Who are you then if you are not just a thing of dreams? And why do you hide within this black sea?"
The dark beyond shifted around Renzel and a low groan of annoyance echoed
"Who says I hide? Perhaps it is you who hide from me.
I do not take this form Master Mock. You have chosen to view me as a simple ocean.
My presence is much more vast..
In time, you will come to know me."
Renzel braced against the waves and swam in his own confusion. It only took moments for him to realize whom he was speaking with.
"you are the eater of the dark and of the light."
Thunder erupted and lightning cracked around him. Blinding him as the raft swayed in the void. The voice cut through.
"very good young mage, very good indeed.
I have been called many things.
Some call me the death bringer.
Some call me the Ender.
You may call me.
Spline."
Renzel choked back his fear and stood upon his raft to face the nothing.
"If this is how I picture you, then I want to truly see you."
The entity hummed his thoughts and then in his low and drole voice he assured.
"In time young mage, you will.
But will it be in a pact of power?
Or will your soul I devour?"
The ocean became violent at once and thrust Renzel off of the raft into the darkness. He fought desperately to swim back to the surface but the darkness was as thick as mud and his mana spark could not be tapped to save him. In this instance he was truly mortal and his breath began to fail him. As he descended deeper into the nothing, his awareness blurred. And with a final moment of consciousness Renzel heard spline say.
"sleep."
____
It was an hour or so before a very drunken Teller noticed Renzel had ducked out of the Tavern. The wet jokes and stories of adventures had left him and Reenius in the morning hours.
Teller leaned back and listened to the rest of Reenius' joke. And then cut the merry time they'd been sharing abrupt.
"while Master Mock is absent, we must tackle the real reason I have come to you old friend."
Reenius stopped sipping from his pint and grew stern. He stood on the table and crossed his arms with a grave certainty at what Teller was about to say.
"So it has come to this. I did not think I would live to see the day."
With a sigh, Reenius unfolded his arms and his chest began to glow with a light ember red. A small hole burned into existence and the sprite reached into his own chest and produced a key the length of him.
Teller glanced around the bar for wandering eyes and then took the key from Mr. Veebe's.
"This key has brought us so much agony Reenius, but the power it holds.. It's enough to almost make the punishment worth it. And what it unlocks? The possibilities are endless. That's why they must never have it."
With a wisp of green smoke the old sprite coughed.
"okay that's enough boyoh. I need it back or I'll ash. I'm to weak don't ya know."
Teller was awestruck with the key. Twirling it in has hands. Glossy eyed as the encantations begged to be deciphered.
"I'm sorry my dear friend but I can't allow that. Even if I'm wrong, they expect it to be with a sprite."
Reenius' eyes widened and before he could plead, Teller held the key out in front of him.
"I renounce you of your vow, Reenius Veebe's of the Gremner Forest."
And with a loud crack and sizzle the last look of an old sprite was of pain and disbelieve. As his figure embered and then ashed onto the table.
The white mage took the final swig of Reenius' mug and with a copper tip on the table. Walked calmly out of the Tavern and into the cold night of the crook spire mountains.