The first person eagerly stepped forward, a man in his thirties with his chin slightly raised and a smile on his lips.

Pampir looked him over with the air of a man who thought he had better things to do with his time than waste it on such people. “What do you have to offer the fair?”

“I sell wooden dolls to the children, My Lord,” the man replied as he dug into his pocket and drew out a tiny doll. Its arms, legs, and torso were cylinders held together with thick wire. The head was round and featured a smiling face. “See?”

Pampir took the doll and turned it over in his hands. “Is that it?”

The man’s face fell and his eyes glistened with fear. “Y-yes, sir.” Pampir looked over the doll and gave the man a look of warning. The merchant’s face turned an unhealthy white. “T-that is, My Lord.”

Pampir tossed the doll back to the man who juggled it before successfully clutching it in both shaking hands. “Stand back and let us see what others have to offer.”

The man bowed his head. “Yes, My Lord.”

He reluctantly shuffled off to the sidelines but he kept one eye on the book. Shian sighed and picked up the pen. She dipped the tip in the inkwell and wrote a few discerning lines that vanished the moment the words were finished.

The next merchant up to the table was a middle-aged woman who grasped a wooden box in both hands. She glanced at the book and was disappointed to see nothing visible.

“Well?” Pampir snapped. “Your offer.”

The woman nodded. “O-of course, My Lord.” She opened her box and revealed a gleaming pile of sugary baked sweets. The treats were stuck on a stick and shaped into a crescent moon. She pulled one out and held it aloft for viewing. “This is my specialty. Flavored sweets on sticks.”

Pampir stretched out one hand to her. “May I?”

“Of course,” she eagerly confirmed as she handed him one stick.

The lord took one lick and furrowed his brow in thought. “Not bad. A slightly salty tinge to it.”

Shian stirred from her indifference and looked the woman over. “Do you know quite a bit about sweets?”

“As much as the next person, My Lady,” she answered.

“Do you know a treat called ‘chocolate?’”

The chef closed her box and tapped the fingers of one hand against the side. “I don’t believe I’ve heard of that one, My Lady, but I can ask around if you like.”

“Do that and you will be well-rewarded,” Shian replied with a pointed look at the woman.

The merchant’s eyes widened and she bobbed her head. “I most definitely will!”

“Good.” Shian wrote a few invisible scribbles in the book and waved her hand at the sidelines. “Now go.”

The woman scurried away and the next person stepped up. The same sequence was repeated where each seller presented their wares to the judges and Shian made her invisible judgment. A great crowd congregated on the sidelines with several of them pacing the front like hungry animals waiting for the final verdict.

The old gentleman from the rock shuffled up to the table and set one hand over the other that grasped the cane. He bowed his head and smiled at the group. “Good morning to you, Lord Pampir and Lady Shian.”

His arrival stirred her ladyship into sitting upright and even casting a faint smile at him. “Good morning to you, Leiren. You have come to show us your wares?”

The man waved his empty hand and a fox fur appeared in his palm. The luxurious red coat glistened in the sun and the white tip of the tail was the color of undisturbed snow. “This is but a taste of what I wish to offer the lords and ladies of the realm above.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“My goodness,” Pampir complimented as Shian stood and accepted the example, cradling it in her upturned palms. The lord examined the fur with a faint nod. “This is a magnificent creature. Wherever did you find it?”

Leiren’s eyes twinkled. “If I told you I would quickly be out of a supply.”

Shian sank her fingers into the velvety-soft fur. “I would ask if you have others but we know you are a master of the hunt.”

The old man bowed his head. “Your compliments warm my heart, Lady Shian.”

Shian reluctantly returned the fur and sat back down. She took up her pen but with more enthusiasm than the others. A few invisible scribbles later and she smiled up at the man. “Thank you for coming today, Leiren.”

“My pleasure, Lady Shian,” he returned as he flicked his wrist and the fur vanished. He shuffled over to the others, many of whom stared at him with a mixture of awe and envy.

The man he had spoken with earlier sidled up to him and nudged the old man with his elbow. “You have it in with the lady, eh?”

Leiren chuckled. “I have known her since she could barely walk.”

The strange leaned toward him and lowered his voice. “Any chance you can get a good word in for me?”

The old man set one hand atop the other and leaned on his cane while his eyes fixated on Lady Shian. “I would consider it, my friend, if it was any task other than this one. Her Ladyship takes this task most seriously and will not be swayed by anyone except one man.”

His companion lifted an eyebrow. “And who’s that?”

Leiren closed his eyes and shook his head. “Best that you did not know lest you be wiped off the lists forever for your insolence.” The old man cracked open one eye and its dark pupil fell on his compatriot. “If you understand my meaning.”

The man’s heart dropped into his stomach and the color faded from his face. He stepped back and bobbed his head so violently his neck cracked. “O-of course! We won’t talk about it again!” He turned and buried himself deep in the crowd.

The two heavenly gods continued their inspection of the wares and goods offered by the merchants until the very last one left the table. The silence was deafening as all eyes fell on the book. Shian wrote her final judgment and, for the final time, set the pen back in its holder. The scribe swept away all the tools except the book.

Pampir caught Shian’s eye and she nodded. He picked up the book and held the tome open in both hands as he turned to the crowd. “Now I will pull out the names of those who will be allowed through the gate. However, there is one last test you must go through before being granted a ribbon. If you fail then you will not be allowed entrance into the heaven realm.”

A murmur rose from the crowd. The boisterous turtle woman stepped forward and asked the question on everyone’s mind. “What kind of test?”

“Merely a formality, I assure you,” Pampir insisted.

“I don’t want no test!” someone shouted from the deep safe depths of the horde.

“Neither do I!” another yelled.

A loud murmur of disapproval rose from the people. Shian set her elbow on the arm of her chair and rolled her eyes. Pampir stretched himself to his full height and glared at the company. He lifted his nose and glared at the people. “Anyone who refuses to take the test will be immediately disqualified!”

The disagreements immediately evaporated and silence fell on the crowd. There were still some dissatisfied faces but they didn’t speak out against the policy.

Pampir nodded. “Excellent. Now let us begin.”