MagiStream

After yet another long day of pursuing those whom he suspected may have had some involvement in his imprisonment, Alethin returned to the humble abode in which he had found sanctuary. The only souls who knew of his recurring presence in the modest hut were his loyal snake, Adela, and the woman who owned the house. The woman was aging and ran her home with a firm hand, but Alethin knew he would be safe with her, for the two of them had a long history. As he settled in a chair at a round wooden table, he heard the woman speak without looking away from the stew she was preparing. “How did it go today?” she asked. “Have you found the one you’re looking for?”

Alethin gazed intently at a loose floorboard. The corner was popping up. “No,” he said, as he mentally retraced the steps he had taken since his escape. He had first promised to repay those who had come to his aid. Talyn, a mischievous young man, had thought the world a little less interesting without Alethin’s black market, so he had recruited Kaiden Featherstone to assist in a jailbreak. In return, Alethin was meant to introduce Kaiden’s latest potion to the black market. Kaiden would get a cut of the profits, of course, and if the potion were ever legalized, Alethin would remove it from his offerings so Kaiden could shed his association with the illegal dealings of the Black Market. Since then, he had investigated Remy, Thane, and Morgaln, but not one of them had proven to be responsible for his imprisonment. Alethin wasn’t sure he knew where to turn next.

“It’s petty of you to seek revenge when you were imprisoned for your own delinquent actions. It is well past time for you to give up this futile search and find a real occupation. Perhaps then you won’t end up on the wrong side of the law again”

Alethin’s sharply turned his line of sight toward the woman, as she continued to stir her stew. “Are suggesting I had this coming?” Alethin asked with mild annoyance. “There is a need for a Black Market! If my associates were strong and loyal, this wouldn’t have happened, and as soon as I find the man who tipped off the authorities, I will send a message so strong that it will never happen again.”

“You’ll find no such man, Alethin,” the woman said. “I’m the one who had you imprisoned.”

Alethin’s eyes were wide and his jaw clenched. He felt a faint burning in his chest as he digested the words that had just come out of this woman’s mouth. “My own mother!” he exclaimed in disbelief.

“I won’t have that tone. You always knew how I felt about your working in such a disreputable industry. I warned you to find a suitable profession lest you face the consequences,” she said. While gently shaking her head and continuing to stir her stew, she huffed under her breath, “My own son…”

Alethin wanted to feel angry. He wanted to feel enraged, but it was his mother, after all. He couldn’t muster more than an acute irritation and chagrin that this aging mother had had the audacity to have him imprisoned for his illegal dealings. The tension in his fists released, and he stubbornly stood, unwilling to take more of this humiliation. “I’m going to bed,” he said sternly, and with that, he turned and exited the room.