Page 54 - North Star Magazine 2022

engulfed in a golden flame.
Rilos could not see the eyes of the two men in armor, but the man in the
silk suit had light brown eyes that reminded him of amber which were only complimented by the perfect skin surrounding them. His cheekbones were high and proud and he had a jaw so sharp it could cut. Rilos wondered if he once had appeared to people like this, and if so, when did it all go away.
“May we come in? We have traveled a very long way,” he asked. Rilos hesitated and nodded. He turned away from the trio and began to hobble across the squeaky floor boards, walking to the table and plopping himself back into his chair. He sat across from him with his entourage standing at the door.
“My oh my, the gods have blessed us today. Who? Is? He?!” Blink said in an aroused tone.
“My name is Lou. I am from the Ministry of Agriculture. I am a mage
of the mind placed in charge of the outreach division. For the duration of our interaction I will be using an incantation to keep the conversation open and truthful. This means if you tell a lie, I will know. Understood?” Lou asked. Rilos nodded.
“Hrutt.” Lou spoke.
“Do you think he does this for all the old crusty farmers he interviews, or is it because we’re special?” Blink said a sardonic voice.
The old man felt a lump in his throat. He had been placed under a truth incantation prior to this, many times. During his days at Skycrest College, students would be placed under the same incantation to avoid any forms of cheating. He had tried to break the spell as an undergraduate, but was never successful. If it were possible for him to break the spell, he would need to outpower the young man’s incantation. The old man did not know how strong this mage was, but his only hope was to resist the call. He began to repeat his own incantation, Rebak within the shelter of his mind. There was no way of knowing if his attempt to break the spell was successful. Only time would tell.
“Ah, ye capitol folk. Where‘re ma manners, can I grab ya something to eat?” Rilos asked
“Beautifully executed old friend. If he says yes, give him something strong. Maybe it will convince him that your obviously fake accent is genuine,” Blink’s satire had no boundaries and was not helping Rilos’s cause.
“We appreciate the gesture, but regretfully I will decline. Our time is short and we need to make another stop before returning to our superior. We are a new ministry, implemented by Empress Nessta herself to ensure that our citizens are