magical elements. Someone is always knocking at your door at all hours of the day and night with no regard for when you’re asleep. As long as they can get an amulet or magic cup to save a princess or whatever it is that needs doing, they don’t really care if you are inconvenienced. I would be constantly fighting off attackers and thieves and freeloaders,” he said.
“It’s much easier to hire someone else to watch over these objects for me. All I have to do is pick a cave, name it, find a guard, spread some rumors that such and such is there and not in my castle and then I’m able to get a good night’s rest. Simple as that. Every few years, I rearrange things. Move an object to another cave and rename it. Spread some more rumors and pretty soon no one is exactly sure which cave is which or what it might contain. Most of the caves are empty anyway, so most people questing for my things are pointed in the wrong direction. Had there actually been something in here, you wouldn’t have made it into this room as I would have put magical traps along the steps,” he continued.
“Why would you need me if you were putting up magic traps?” asked Otho.
“A bit for appearance, but I also don’t want to needlessly kill anyone. You did see that I just let that prince leave unharmed? If I have someone at the entrance they at least get a warning and can decide if going forward would be worth it.”
Otho thought about this for a moment. At least he found that his job wasn’t completely pointless, “But that prince knew exactly what cave this was and what had been in it. How did he know that?” Otho asked.
“This is the cave that once had the Emerald of Sleep, but I’m not sure how he knew that. He was just a few years too late. In any case, it might have just been luck. I showed up today because I was going to hide something here. I’m going to rethink that now. Ok, let’s leave here. Time for you to accept your punishment,” Vax said.
They walked back up the steps and into the world above in silence. Otho was biting his bottom lip the whole time. Thoughts of being turned into a frog or chicken had been flashing through his head.
“Don’t worry. Changing you into something else really wouldn’t help me. Your punishment will be that you have to continue guarding this cave for me…indefinitely,” said Vax. “Take care Otho, and do not let anyone else enter my empty cave or maybe you would be a nice fat pig for a king’s dinner. I must be going now.”
With that, there was another cracking sound of thunder, a flash of light, and Vax was gone.
Otho walked back into the mouth of the cave and looked at where he had set up his line of stones. These had been disturbed by their walking in and out. “I guess I won’t need these anymore,” he said as he kicked them all away. He then sat down in front of the entrance and watched the sun setting over the mountains. So much for his planned return to shaking down travelers in the forest. At least his wife would be happy that he wasn’t going back to thievery.
Thank you for reading my short story. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave me a review at your favorite retailer. I would appreciate it very much. I really write for myself, but it is nice if others also find something they like about what I do.
Thanks
Levi Garcia
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