Corruption is Magic

“So…” I drawl as I kick my feet back and forth as I sit on a table that Hemrick works on with long rolls of cloth. “How did you get the name of this shop?”

“I got it from a book.” Hemrick tersely responds. Taking the needle he is struggling into his fingers and pulling the thread with it through the cloth.

“Oh, what kind of book?” Sighing, Hemrick places down the needle and looks at me in an unamused fashion.

“What exactly are you tryin to do here? I’m doin your dress, Miss priss. Leave me to my work and go be with Alexander.” Hemrick grumbles making me flinch, feeling hurt by his jab.

“I’m not trying to do anything. I just want to get to know you…” I almost whisper but Hemrick having heard grunts in response before saying.

“Sure you are, if you’re with him then I have no right to believe you.” What has Alexander done to make Hemrick not trust him or like him? Looking over at the Vampire I see him poking around at the clothing on display but for a brief moment I see his eyes dart over to us. He is listening to our conversation.

“Alexander, can you go grab me something to drink? My throat is rather dry.” I ask, trying to fake as best as I can that my throat is dry. I hope getting Alexander away will make Hemrick more inclined to open up.

“Ah, my oh my. Our little travel left you parched? Why didn’t you say so, I know this perfect little fruit stall down the road.” Alexander happily says, almost too happy sounding. He walks out of the store and I turn back to Hemrick who is back to sewing cloth together. Though he has a tricky time with the needle and thread he is remarkably quick at this.

“I have seen my friends Rarity and Beryl work but it’s really something seeing a larger person work on something so fine.” I admire his work but as I look I notice he has stopped.

“You know Beryl?” He asks surprised.

“I mean ya… I got clothes from her a while ago but I kinda left them at this hideout that was my home till Alexander started to teach me.” I reply looking up to him as he has a smirk on his face.

“And how is the old girl? I haven’t seen her in a few months.” He asks but I feel a weight forming in my gut. He doesn’t know.

“I-I’m sorry… she…” I say feeling sadness gripping my chest. “She might not be alive any longer. I found her shop in ruins and Gomra… a goblin customer of hers isn’t around anymore. I think it was the same person.” As I speak Hemrick’s demeanor wilts and he slouches deep down as he looks at the cloth.

“I… I can’t believe it. Beryl… it’s just like this wretched world… taking my last friend away.” Hemrick soberly says, taking a sniff followed by a clearing of his throat before looking back at me. “Tell me who it is. I want to find them.” He says, anger dripping from his words like venom.

“I don’t know their name… but I also want Revenge. She was my friend too. When I find him again and know where he hangs out, we can go say hello together. Okay?” I offer, Hemrick looks at me for a few seconds then nods.

“You best do that. I won’t forgive you if you don’t.” Hemrick crosses his arms as he looks at me. “I guess you aren’t too bad.”

“I’m glad you have come around.” I happily chirp. “So, are you alright with sharing more about yourself with a friend?”

“Slow your horse's Grape.” Hemrick says followed by a few chuckles. I on the other hand blow a few raspberries at his jokes. “Well, I guess I can say some stuff without… them knowing.”

“Them?” I ask to which he flicks his head towards the door to the shop.

“Your teacher and others.” He says in an indignant tone. “They are the ones that cursed me. Said it was repentance, you see I used to be of the proud race of Dwarves.”

“Dwarves? What’s that?” I ask, confused at this new race I had never heard about.

“Hm, how to explain our kind… Ah, well the easiest way to start is seeing if you know what humans are.” With a nod from me he chuckles. “Okay, take one in your head, make them short… like very short. Four to at most five feet tall. Now make them a heavy set body, by that I mean give them some jolly bellies of ale and rum. Then give them a desire to burrow underground and make mountains into great works of art on the inside.”

“But… don’t you need the sun to grow food and get vitamins?” I ask, confused how these beings even survived underground.

“Ah, well we had other races to trade with and some farms up top too. Our people did most of the world's mining and the other races would farm and such. That is if they didn’t backstab us, then they would end up in our kingdom's grudge list.” Hemrick chuckles. “But anyways, I was king of one of these mountain homes. I got a bit greedy and had my citizens dig deeper and deeper. Little did I know that we had some not so nice things beneath us. It took less than a day for the hold of mine to be swallowed up in chaos and death, climaxing with my death.”

“That’s horrific… But… if you died then why did you end up here?”

“Ah, well you see… Alexander made a deal with me when I tried to summon a dark lord. I wasn’t really of noble lineage. But there was a way of the Dwarves that made it so if a person got enough citizens behind their cause then the person could challenge the current king to hand to hand combat. I summoned Alexander and with his help I did just that… little did I know that my soul was the price.”

“So… where does this curse come in?”

“Ah, well when I got here I wanted to become King again but of this place. It was during that time I discovered magic and I figured out I could manufacture ailments with it. If everyone is weak from the ailments I make and I’m the only healthy one then taking the crown would be easy… How foolish I was.” He says and that’s when my brain clicks the dots together.

“Y-you’re Olvin?” I mutter and he simply nods.

“The one and only… The fool.”