#800words

"You're a damned fine warlock, McGullity, but you're a loose cannon!"

"What do you mean?"

McGullity looked at Eadgar. He looked at him thoughtfully. The magic sparked around him with an intensity that had other patrons in the tavern backing away. Amelina watched the exchange from a distance. Part of her still couldn't believe Eadgar had somehow roped the infamous warlock into their schemes. He would be a great help to them, no doubt about it; she simply had never expected him to agree.

Before McGullity could reply, a rowdy group kicked open the door and ambled in. Amelina recognized them instantly; the group who had been making fools of themselves on the square. They had been daring each other to do one stupid thing or another, they had been calling out to the women who hurried past, they had been laughing and stumbling across the cobbles until one of them had falling into the fountain, which had only made them laugh more.

Now, they walked into the tavern like they owned the place.

One look around and they zeroed in on the warlock. Amelina and Eadgar exchanged a look. How long before one would gather the courage to approach him. Apparently, it didn't take long. The brave man had brown hair pulled back with a leather band, a messy beard, and was flushed with wine.

"You, warlock," he called out. Amelina all but face-palmed herself. The idiot. "They say you have never won a game of cards fair and square." By that point, all patrons held their breath. While everyone knew it to be true, everyone also knew better than to mention it out loud. The drunkard stumbled forward, clumsily maneuvering between the tables until he reached McGullity's side. With one of his fingers, he poked the warlock in the chest. "I dare you to play me fair and square. No magic. No cheating. Winner takes all."

McGullity looked down at the man impassively. He appeared to be considering the offer.

"I refuse."

"I am not giving you the possibility to refuse," the drunkard insisted. By then, his friends had gathered behind him, eager to see how this would play out. In fact, everyone was eager to see how this would play out.

"I still refuse."

"Listen here, warlock," the man started, jabbing his finger once more at McGullity's chest.

Before he could finish whatever he had been about to say, the warlock snapped his finger. Once the smoke cleared, the man had disappeared. Instead, there was a horse. The animal stumbled clumsily on its legs. The warlock turned to Eadgar, "I appear to have solved my transportation issue. Although the horse will need a few hours to sober up. We can leave in the morning as you wished."

Ancient Evil

"How was I supposed to know it was cursed?"

Ella and Thomas exchanged a look. That look said it all; if they found a way to leave Brad down there, they so would.

"It's a thousand years old, heaving decorated box, in a room that seems to be entirely dedicated to the worshiping of that box," Ella replied. "Have you never cracked open a history book?"

"Or watched a movie?" Thomas added.

Brad shrugged.

The box in question wasn't that big. In fact, it was like a small jewelry box. But, in the light of their torches, it appeared to have been made out of solid gold - which meant it probably weighed more than Ella herself - and had been decorated with precious stones on almost every available inch of surface. There were rubies and emeralds, amethysts and jasper, sapphires and topaz. A huge diamond had been placed just right to serve as a handle to lift the lid. A pretty expensive handle. It sat on an ornately carved pedestal that had been decorated with other stones such as turquoise and rose quartz, lapis lazulis and peridots. There were carvings that had been covered gold leaf.

Beyond the pedestal and the obviously cursed box, the room was fairly large although entirely empty. No one had thought the place needed any kind of furnishings. The floor had been left simple and bare. The walls were a different story. They showed pictures of people, richly dressed and with big feather crowns on their heads or staffs in their hands. Those images had been inlaid with the same precious stones as the pedestal and the box. And each section of the image, obviously representing part of a story, feature the same box, decorated as the real thing was.

It was as though whoever had built the box and the pedestal and the room itself hadn't been told these stones were precious and worth a fortune. Well, they must know or all these prominent figures on the walls wouldn't have adorned themselves with them. But the room had gathered so many, Ella could only imagine how much it was all worth. Yet the locals had never ventured into the temple and taking them; they had all told them the same thing. The place was evil, possibly cursed.

Well, Brad had found the curse alright. It had been locked away in a box and had whooshed out the second he had lifted the lid. They had all seen it. The ominous black cloud the size of a bee swarm. They had felt the temperature in the room drop from tropical to freezing for a few heartbeats. They had seen the flashlights flicker in the presence of whatever had been unleashed. Then it had disappeared, leaving the three archaeology students to argue among themselves about what they had unleashed.

"Look," Thomas said with a sigh, "If this turns out to be super evil, kills half the world population, and prevents me from validating my thesis, I am so throwing you under the bus."

Brad shot him a disbelieving look. "Hey! That's not fair! Again, how was I supposed to know it was cursed?"

"You were allowed to come on the condition you didn't touch anything," Ella reminded him. "You touched something. I consider it a breach of contract."

"I never signed a contract."

Ella arched an eyebrow. "Remember that safety waiver you had to sign for the university?" Brad nodded, frowning now. "Did you even read it?" Brad shook his head, his confusion growing still. "We added a clause. You weren't allowed to touch anything without our explicit permission."

"You touched the box," Thomas reminded him. "Breach of contract."

Brad looked utterly gobsmacked and ready to protest. He glanced from his fellow students to the box. He wouldn't be able to come up with a good argument. He had signed the waiver; he should have carefully read through it. In the end, he muttered something about at least having worn gloves. It wouldn't help his cause in any way. Then he shrugged.

"Well, now that the curse is out and I have already broken the contract, I can pick up the box, right?"

He had already moved to do just that. In a flash, Ella saw something she had never thought she would see. Thomas had tackled Brad to the ground and together they wrestled across the floor. She was tempted to move around them and take the box, just to keep it from falling but that would have defeated the purpose. There was bound to be some kind of trap. Instead, she watched helplessly until Brad came out on top with a triumphant smile. He got to his feet and snatched up the box in the same move.