~o0o~

At that exact moment, elsewhere in The Godforsaken City, a little Pixie was having troubles of his own with Finderu. . .

Kelim the Toadstool Pixie stole a glance at Ophelia, the Lilac Fairy, as she passed him in the entrance.

"She looks splendid, her golden blond curls pulled back in a braid and her dusty blue dress reflecting her eyes."

Kelim dreamed about composing poetry about Ophelia, then spun aside as she approached. He didn't want to be caught gawking.

In Kelim's mind, everything about Ophelia was perfect, except for one thing. She was the daughter of the snobbish aristocrat Finderu the Masked.

Finderu the Masked was formidable.

Kelim knew this was true because everyone said it was. Rumours said that Finderu was a nasty bastard because he was a vampire.

Kelim doubted that was true.

Kelim heard a lot of rumours he didn't believe in, like the Lich Lords.

And that crazy psychotic Elf that was chasing them.

Kelim had met Finderu the Masked once, when the old wizard came into the bakery. Finderu had flaming red hair streaked grey with age, and blue eyes just like his daughter's.

Finderu was arrogant. He also did not like Toadstool Pixies any more than he liked his daughter working in the bakery like a common commoner. It was the reason he had been at the bakery that day, to tell Ophelia off and let her, and everyone she worked with, know just exactly what he thought of his daughter lowering herself by getting her hands dirty along with the low, vile, filthy peasants.

"I'll turn all you filthy peasants into fucking pheasants, if I catch even one of you near my daughter," Finderu said as he left. "At least pheasants keep themselves clean."

Finderu had glared at Kelim when he said the words vile, low, and filthy. He let Kelim know any advances towards his Ophelia were unacceptable.

Kelim's first impression of the man was that Finderu was a hard-ass rich bastard who'd never worked a day in his life because he was some sort of aristocrat.

Plus, everyone knew Finderu thought of himself as a king. Finderu wasn't a king, but he was the closet thing this region had to any kind of ruler. Finderu treated The Godforsaken City, which wasn't even big enough to be called a city, like it was his own private dynasty.

Kelim didn't like aristocrats. They were too arrogant. He didn't like wizards either.

Finderu was also a wizard.

A high ranking, aristocratic wizard of immense power.

Not magic powers. No. Finderu was not the skilled mage he wanted people to believe he was, and he had a reputation for hiring assassins to kill any mage with actual real magical abilities.

Political power. That was Finderu's true power. That and money. He had enough money to buy his way through life. Enough money to hire thugs to keep anyone who opposed him in line. Or tied in chains at the bottom of the Saco River.

Finderu was the leader of The Wizarding Guild. The Guild of Wizardry. The organization who declared who could legally do what, with magic.

All wizards everywhere on the planet had to answer to Finderu's Guild.

Or at least, he thought so.

Finderu was a control freak.

Every magic user on the planet answered to him or else, wither they knew they were supposed to or not. He accepted nothing less. And he hired hit men, bounty hunters, adventures, and questing heroes, to hunt down, and murder any mage Finderu felt threatened the sanctity of The Guild's rule.

Most mages in the world were unaware The Guild existed until the day they found themselves confronted by a band of 5 or 6 self proclaimed warriors here to do their duty by killing the evil, big bad boss villain.

Hiring blood thirsty thugs, calling them bands of heroes and adventuring parties, and sending them on quests to hunt down so-called evil villains, was what Finderu was most known for.

The only problem was his questing parties were far from heroic and the so-called evil villains were just innocent victims. People Finderu wanted out of the way.

Kelim, however, was just a Toadstool Pixie and had no interest in magic, so he didn't bother thinking much about Finderu's obsession with other wizards. If he had, then perhaps he would have been at the town counsel meetings to hear the news of a dangerous renegade wizard on a worldwide killing spree or that there was a huge reward for said wizard's capture and an even bigger reward for his execution or the even bigger reward for his head on a silver platter.

Finderu would have given anything for the head of the psychotically deranged, serial killing Moon Elf wizard, even Ophelia's hand in marriage to a lowly Pixie. Finderu had been preaching his hatred for Quaraun the Insane, more heavily that usual, because rumours had said Quaraun was in the area. Thus why so many wanted posters had gone up the past week. Finderu HAD to make sure everyone in town KNEW Quaraun psychotically deranged, serial killing thug. It was imperative that no one find out he made up half the rumours about Quaraun. Imperative no one knew Quaraun was not the blood-thirty lunatic Finderu made him out to be.

Finderu was terrified people would learn the truth: that Quaraun was just seeking revenge for a murdered lover. Finderu's glut lust of being King of the Faeries had driven King Gwallmaiic, King of the Faeries, Leader of the Lich Lords to suicide.

Had Kelim paid better attention to things in the local news, he would have known Finderu was becoming obsessed with finding and killing the lover of King Gwallmaiic, known to Quaraun as BoomFuzzy.

Kelim would have known he could find and kill the Elf and give its head to Finderu for any price. But Kelim was too busy thinking about the day when he finally stopped being shy and actually got up the courage to say ‘Hello' to Ophelia. He hoped that day would be soon, because it had been weeks since he first laid eyes on Ophelia and he had said nothing to her yet.

One problem with Finderu the Masked was his love for gratuitous violence and another was that he was a skilled wizard of sorts, one who did not require the use of weapons or wands or crystal balls because his bare hands, knowledge of magic, and mental powers, were great enough on their own.

Everyone in the village was terrified of Finderu the Masked. Rumours even said his powers rivalled those of the Moon Elf, Quaraun the Insane who was fast growing a reputation for been the most powerful magic user of any type of all time. Kelim didn't believe those rumours either.

Kelim liked to believe he was a forward thinking Pixie who believed the days of magic were outdated and foolish. He was also a radical who supported the recent expansion of the Human race, which was coinciding with the massive world wide death toll of the Elves, Gnomes, and Dwarfs.

The Faeries had dramatically declined in number decades ago. They blamed it on the overpopulation of the Elves, Gnomes, and Dwarves. Kelim was more than happy to see the Elves, Gnomes, and Dwarves brought to the brink of extinction. Though Humans would overrun the world, because of it.

Kelim the Toadstool Pixie had been in love with Ophelia the Lilac Fairy forever now, or at least it seemed that way to him.

Kelim told everybody that he had loved her forever.

Actually it had only been three months since she moved here and started working at the bakery where he worked. Kelim knew he was being ridiculous by not talking to her, but he was Pixie enough to admit to himself, at least, that he was a coward.

Cowards don't stand up to bullies, and Ophelia's father, Finderu the Masked, was a formidable bully.

Kelim didn't have what it takes to tell Ophelia how he felt about her, that the only thing that brought him to the bakery where he worked every day was seeing her walk past him 5 or 6 times, depending on their timetables.

How could he? Not when her father was someone as so highly irritable as Finderu the Masked was.

At some point the word 'Hello' escaped his lips. He couldn't remember when.

"So, you mean you've never said a word to her?" Asked Kelim's buddy Xandri Witsnot the Goblin.

"Of course I've spoken to Ophelia. It's not like I'm a complete idiot!" Kelim said.

"Oh yeah? WHEN?"

"She was in the break room last month, and she asked me about Ghirardelli the swamp hag, when she was sitting in front of me. Said she hadn't seen Ghirardelli around town in a while, heard she had an old friend visiting but, never saw anyone new in town and was wondering if maybe Ghirardelli was sick. Thought maybe we might check in on her."

"And what'd you say?"

"Uhm. . ." Kelim tried to remember. He had been so focused on Ophelia slim neck that he was caught blushing when she was suddenly facing him, her blue eyes amused and that smile of hers playing at the corners of her mouth.

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"Uhm. . . ugh, I can't remember."

"Because you didn't say anything you dolt!"

"No, we definitely spoke," Kelim retorted. "Sometimes we even exchanged greeting in the street, especially if she isn't walking with a friend and giggling about something."

"Yeah. Sure. I believe you."

"No, really, I've spoken to her. I swear."

Yes, Kelim had stuttered a mumbled out phrase that could have sounded almost like a 'Hello' as he was running the other way. But Kelim wanted so much more than that. He wanted her to wrap those thin little scrawny arms of hers around his waist when he got to the bakery in the morning. He wanted her to slip her elegant lilac hued hand into his when they walked to the tavern for lunch. Kelim wanted to say her name without worrying that someone will find out about his silly crush. He really wanted her to know him the way he wished he knew everything about her.

On this particular day, in late spring, Kelim the Toadstool Pixie sat on a bench and watched the lilacs. He noticed how much darker the petals were now that they were half closed for the evening.

The sun had already dropped behind the trees, and it would be getting dark soon. Still Kelim could not help but sit and watch the pale purple lilac blossoms and breath in their delicious heady fragrance.

They reminded him of her.

Of Ophelia.

Kelim could not help but think about Ophelia the Lilac Fairy every time he passed this long lilac hedge each day. He was so deep in thought that he did not see or hear Ophelia the Lilac Fairy come up behind him.

"Little things mean a lot, "Ophelia said from behind him.

Kelim the Toadstool Pixie jumped from the wooden seat and spun around. He could melt like butter at the sight of her silvery blue eyes. He just stared jaw gaping open. She stared back at him smirking at the ridiculous pose he was frozen into.

"Come here often?" she asked.

"Uhm. . ."

"I love it here." She sat down on the bench beside Kelim. "The lilacs remind me of my grandmother."

"Uhm. . ."

"She always used to say 'Little things mean a lot', than pick big bouquets of lilacs to put in the rooms of the house."

"Yep. Small stuff is important," Kelim said.

"No, little things mean a lot. "

"That's what I said."

"No you said small stuffs important. "

"Same diff."

"No it's not. "

"How so?"

"Well for starters, little things refers to acts while small stuff refers to objects."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"Naa-un!"

"Yes, it does."

"Nauuhhhhh!"

"You're an idiot!"

"Takes one to know one."

"Hey!"

"Aaah. Gotcha!" Kelim pointed a finger at her and then ran off laughing. When he looked back she was gone. Why did he have to act such a fool around her?

Kelim hung his head and trudged back home.

That was the extent of his conversations with Ophelia.

Every time she showed up he turned into a gibbering fool and then ran away. He was never going to get anywhere with her at this rate.

Kelim met up with Xandri Witsnot the Goblin after closing the bakery for the night and they walked home together.

Xandri Witsnot was the only real friend Kelim had. The other guys were fine to hang out with when they had the chance, but he couldn't tell them his real thoughts on things. They were all about being cool and fitting in, and they laughed at a lot of things he did say, never mind all the things he didn't say. He wouldn't ever think of sharing anything personal with them. In front of them, he made an effort to put an act up in much the same way they did. He just wanted to fit in.

But with Xandri Witsnot it was different.

Xandri Witsnot was a bit of a misfit, and the other Faeries gave Kelim a hard time for hanging out with Witsnot, because Witsnot was a Goblin.

Kelim felt like he could talk to Xandri Witsnot the Goblin.

Maybe it was because the Goblin always talked to him about things. He had started it. It was easier to open up to someone, when they lead the way by risking bits of themselves first.

"How's Ophelia ?" Xandri Witsnot asked as the two walked home.

Kelim cringed a bit, feeling like he didn't have a right to talk about her like she was his or anything.

"She's alright, I guess. Looked happy. Looked real pretty."

"You always say that."

"It's always true."

"You speak to her today?"

"Nah, didn't have an order with her."

"You know," Xandri Witsnot the Goblin said, careful now, "you don't have to have an order with her to speak to her. She talks to a lot of guys that don't even, work with her."

"Quit bugging me okay? I know it's stupid, but I'm just not like them. It's not like you would do it either."

"Well no. . . But I don't like her the same way you do."

Kelim grunted and kicked at a rock nearby. He got annoyed when Witsnot pointed out the obvious. That was the bit that he hated about talking to people; the way they had opinions about things and voiced them, even when he knew the truth already.

Kelim told Witsnot about the encounter at the lilac bench.

"You made a fool of yourself in front of here again, right?" Witsnot said between gulping down cheese curds. "So what else is new in your life?"

"Come on! I'm being serious here!"

"So am I."

"I turn into a freaking clown every time she's around."

"You and every other male in town, join in the club. Suppose that's better then being a streaking clown, eh?"

"They don't love her."

"And you do?"

"Yes!"

"You don't even know her."

"What is there to know?"

"Well, she could be an evil shape shifting bale of hay."

"Get real"

"I am being real. I'm thinking with my head, you're thinking with your nuts."

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"Am not."

"And this is what you did to her right?"

"Yeah."

Kelim sighed.

"Ophelia was right. I'm an idiot. How did I ever expect to get a girl like her to like a guy like me? Look at me, I'm hanging out with a goblin."

"Hey!"

"Sorry. You know what I mean."

"Yeah. I know. Hey! I know, why don't you give her a violet plant, like a peace offering. You said she likes purple flowers right?"

"She likes lilacs."

"So what are you gonna do give her a bottled lilac tree?"

"Lilacs are not trees. . ."

"Have you ever seen how big a lilac gets?"

"What about that swamp hag?"

"What about her?"

"I hear there's a wizard staying in town, some sort of super powerful Elf, that everybody's like scared shitless of or something. I think he's staying out at old Ghirardelli the swamp hag's hovel. They know each other or something. He's like a Genie or something. Grants wishes. Maybe he could like zap Ophelia for you or something. Make her fall in love with you."

"A wish granting Genie? Stop pulling my leg."

"No. I heard of this guy, he's the real deal," Xandri Witsnot the Goblin carried on. He didn't seem to notice Kelim's offence. "It sounded stupid to me, when I first heard it, but it's said that he's some sort of magician or Necromancer type wizard or something. If you go to him, you can ask him to grant you a wish. He does it like a job or something. Grants wishes for people in exchange for souls."

"What? Like selling my soul to the devil?"

"Yes, exactly that."

"That sounds ridiculous."

"I know, don't look at me, I'm just telling you what I heard. I was just thinking, if he is real, maybe you can go ask him about Ophelia, get your happy ending and all that."

Kelim grunted again, but then looked at Witsnot with his head cocked to the side.

"You really think it'll work?"

Witsnot shrugged.

"Wouldn't know, I don't really have any wishes crazy enough to think about asking wizards to grant for me."

Kelim walked on, deep in thought.

'What if it was true? What if someone like that really existed, and I could get him to grant my wishes? Like a genie or something, almost.'

Kelim couldn't sleep that night, and had trouble working, eating, or sleeping the days that followed. He couldn't stop thinking about how much he wished Ophelia would notice him and wondering is a wizard really could help him.

It took Kelim a couple of days mulling the idea around in his head, and the more he thought about it, the stronger he felt about giving it a shot. What did he have to lose? He already didn't have the girl of his dreams; it couldn't get much worse than that, really. Could it?

A few days later, Kelim was talking to Witsnot again.

"No, I need to stop being so stupid whenever she is around," Kelim said.

"Yeah and you really think that's gonna happen?" Witsnot shot back.

"Well how else am I going to tell her I like her?"

"You could go to that Necromancer dude."

"Quaraun?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"The dude is a freaking Necromancer. "

"Hey just Throwing in some suggestions. Don't bite my head off. I think the Necromancer is doing enough of that on his own for all of us."

"Yeah, that's the sort of thing Necromancers do ain't it? Give you what you want in return for your soul. And then take your head. Dude. Seriously. A Necromancer?"

"Hey, it was, just a thought."