[Bungleau]

CHAPTER 25: LOOSE ENDS

With a burst of magical energy, Missy Hissy reappeared in the Brimloch Roon town square, eyes squinting under the wizards’ perpetual daylight. It had been pitch black outside the town, and low though the light was, her eyes were not used to it. “I’ve got to find a better place to come back to,” she muttered to herself. “Wouldn’t want to get caught in someone’s trap out here...” As her eyes adjusted, she strolled down the main thoroughfare to Miruth’s pawn shop. “Might as well get rid of this staff quickly, and save the weight.”

As she entered the shop, Miruth looked up and acknowledged her. “You’re back, I see. Any news of the leprechaun? Or are you as feeble a questor as they say?”

Missy’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but I’ll tell you they’ve never seen my blade... or else someone paid to bring them back from the dead. In any case, you wanted proof of the leprechaun, and here’s his staff.”

Miruth looked at the staff, clucking as he did so. “Pretty impressive... a real leprechaun’s staff, including the family crest and personal sigil. Not bad... for a piece of wood pulled off a ship’s barnacle-encrusted bottom! This doesn’t prove anything to me, other than you’ve – glurp!”

Missy lifted him off the ground by his whiskers, bringing his eyes up even with hers. “Did I just misunderstand you? Are you saying you don’t believe me?” She dropped Miruth, and he fell to the floor with an ignoble splat, knocking against a display of magical powders.

“Harrumph... Well... ya see, these Leprechaun sticks are a ducat a dozen. They sell ‘em at county fairs, tourist hangouts, and pool halls, tryin’ to make people believe that they can grab some o’ the leprechaun’s luck. ‘Course, there ain’t no luck worth havin’ in there, so anything that happens, the guy sellin’ the stick credits the stick. Anything goes wrong, ‘e blames the buyer. And by the time the stick runs out of enchantments, the seller has long gone off to the next fair.

“Yep, Leprechaun sticks don’t prove nothin’... but a Leprechaun’s stone would. With those, you can feel the magic coursin’ through it. No one’s ever been able to duplicate that, or even come close. Find me one of those, and we’ll be talkin’.”

Missy glared at him. “Any more parts of this job that you’ve conveniently forgotten? My temper’s running hard these days, and I’m itching for a place to let it out.”

Miruth backed up hastily. “No, no, nothing else... as long as ye don’t come back with a piece of black pearl. That stuff’s powerful evil, and rumor has it that a piece of black pearl touching a leprechaun’s stone is what set off the Great Cataclysm years back.”

Missy fished the black pearl flying merwoman ring from her pocket. “You mean like this?”

Miruth stepped back, visibly shaken. “Where did you... never mind. Get rid of that – it’s evil, I tell ye. Ain’t no one who’s ever come to good from havin’ a piece of black pearl around.”

Missy stepped closer, making Miruth squirm nervously. “Well, this piece of pearl has been might unlucky for everyone else, but it’s got a secret waiting for me. Since you know so much about black pearl, can you tell me anything else about this?”

Miruth gulped nervously, his eyes flitting toward the door in hope of salvation. “Well...” he began.

“No stories!” snapped Missy. “Just truth – or I’ll make you regret that your parents ever met the first time.”

“There’s a legend of a strange mer-queen, told from grandparent to grandchild for generations,” continued Miruth. “I only know what was told to me, but in years gone by, there was a flying merwoman who was the patron and savior of the city of Collasium. She was a witch and more, casting spells for prosperity and protecting the city from invaders.”

“What else do the legends say?” asked Missy.

“Not much,” said Miruth. “In the Great Cataclysm, the city of Collasium was lost in the seas, and the sea around it was lost as well. No one’s heard anything in centuries, although more recent legends have the flying merwoman visiting damnation on those who fail to do their chores. But I always figured that was some parent’s attempt to manipulate their offspring.”

“Where can I find this Lost Sea?” asked Missy.

“No one’s seen it in centuries,” responded Miruth, “although some stories exist of tree-surfers who have crossed over the very trees that bring us shade and food. They claim to have seen the Lost Sea, but they tend to disappear quickly. Fall out of a tree and break a leg, and you’ll be sharing sleeping quarters with Anephas.”

With a *harrumph* Missy collected her gold and left the pawn shop, her thoughts fixed on the Lost Sea and the lost city it held.