FKOD
Well-known member
Here was Piter, trapped in a burning store, with a young wizard preparing the spell that would probably end his life. Piter could feel his heart beating like crazy, as if it was trying to escape his chest and run away. His legs, on the other hand, seem perfectly content to stay put.
“Business, huh? Is that what you call this?” Piter said.
“Yeah....” said the wizard, who seemed to be hesitating to launch the fireball.
“Seriously... you sound like a guy from the mafia or something.”
This comment caused the wizard to lose his concentration somewhat. The fireball lost its shape and nearly caught the wizard's robe on fire.
“W-what? I'm not in the mafia! This is different!” the wizard snapped.
“What kind of wizard gets all his buddies together to blow the crap out of a grocery store?” Piter retorted.
“It's more than just a grocery store, it's a blight on society! A mark of our selfish, greedy ways!”
“Yeah. A place where people buy food from? That’s just awful. I can really see why you want it to burn to the ground.”
“You wouldn’t understand. Plus, it’s not just a grocery store. There’s the other half that sells other stuff too.”
“I’m sure that’s terrible too. Can I go now?”
“No! I have orders!”
“But I’m just an innocent bystander.”
“That’s what you would like us to think!”
“Look, I don’t know what I did to upset the wizard mafia, but as you can see this building is on fire and I want to leave.”
“You’re one of them! I can tell by your aura!”
“Look, I’m not a member of some rival wizard crime syndicate. In fact, I’m not even a wizard.”
“I know you’re not a wizard, you’re a—“
The wizard’s words were cut short by a blow to the head administered by a firefighter who had come to rescue civilians trapped inside the blazing Tama-Mart. She briefly gestured to Piter to come with her, and then she picked up the unconscious wizard and made a break for the exit. Piter followed, glad to finally get out of the store.
Outside, the rain was coming down hard. Amongst the frightened civilians were firefighters putting out the flames. There were police too, arresting a few wizards who had left the building through the front. Piter wondered why the wizards weren’t making any effort to fight back. News reporters were already buzzing around the scene, interviewing some of the police. All of the noise and chaos combined with the crackle of the fire behind Piter was really giving him a headache.
“This is some pretty crazy stuff, isn’t it?” said Piter’s savior in a casual manner while letting the unconscious wizard flop to the ground.
“Yeah… Wait, Ana? Is that you?”
The Chantotchi that Piter had identified as Ana took off her helmet and fixed her ears, which had been somewhat flattened under the helmet. “Yeah. What, you didn’t recognize me?”
“Sorry. I was preoccupied with not dying.”
“If that was the case, then you would’ve got outta there before those robed weirdoes tried to roast you like a Christmas-day turkey.”
“Oh yeah, they’re wizards.”
“Pft, you really believe they were using magic? They’re probably just a bunch of nerds who got a hold of some gizmos or something.”
“And where would they’ve possibly gotten things like that?”
“What? Are you saying that magic is real? Really?”
Just as Piter was about to respond, Chance ran towards them, looking elated.
“Piter! You’re not dead!” said Chance.
“Yeah, I’m not.”
“But you don’t have groceries. Seriously, with all the craziness going down here, you could have made off with some free food.”
“I’m not going to steal food! Even if the authorities are too busy with the wizard mafia to care!”
“Wizard mafia?”
“I’m serious. One of those guys was going to kill me because of something about his ‘business.’”
“Dude. That’s crazy. Do you owe someone money or something?”
“Guys, I know anyone would want to stand in front of a burning superstore and have a friendly little chat about wizardly mafia guys, but you should probably get out of here so the rest of us can work,” said Ana.
“Okay. See you later,” said Piter.
Piter and Chance started walking back to the car. It seemed to Piter that the all the noise was louder than it should’ve been and the rain was colder than normal. Chance looked up at the sky and asked Piter, “Hey, you know that ‘Psionic Paladin?’ The super-hero? Don’t you think this would have been a great place to show up and fight some crime?”
Piter just shrugged and said, “Why does that matter?” Then, thinking of Ana, he added, “All the real heroes are over there actually doing something useful.”
“You know, there’s actually evidence that he is real. There have been videos recorded of him. I’ve seen some of them on the news a few times. He’s actually managed to stop a few muggings and burglaries too.”
“Yeah. But he sure didn’t stop these wizards from blowing up an entire store.”
“Hmm… super-hero versus wizards… I wonder how that would turn out.”
They finally reached the car and got in. Piter and Chance were quiet for the entire ride, since Piter had a headache and felt like he was freezing his butt off, and Chance was daydreaming about super-heroes and wizards battling each other for supremacy. When they got home, Piter wrapped a towel around himself, plopped down on the couch, and turned on the television while Chance got a snack from the kitchen. Piter saw the wreckage and chaos on the news for a moment before he turned down the volume and started flipping through the channels. Chance sauntered on in to the living room and examined Piter, who was shivering on the couch.
“Dude, are you still cold? You’re shivering more than a dog that got stuck in a refrigerator,” said Chance, taking a seat on the other end of the couch.
“That rain was freaking cold.”
“Not really.”
“It felt cold to me.”
Chance raised an eyebrow at Piter as he reached down into the bag of potato chips that he had in his lap. “Whatever you say, man.”
“Business, huh? Is that what you call this?” Piter said.
“Yeah....” said the wizard, who seemed to be hesitating to launch the fireball.
“Seriously... you sound like a guy from the mafia or something.”
This comment caused the wizard to lose his concentration somewhat. The fireball lost its shape and nearly caught the wizard's robe on fire.
“W-what? I'm not in the mafia! This is different!” the wizard snapped.
“What kind of wizard gets all his buddies together to blow the crap out of a grocery store?” Piter retorted.
“It's more than just a grocery store, it's a blight on society! A mark of our selfish, greedy ways!”
“Yeah. A place where people buy food from? That’s just awful. I can really see why you want it to burn to the ground.”
“You wouldn’t understand. Plus, it’s not just a grocery store. There’s the other half that sells other stuff too.”
“I’m sure that’s terrible too. Can I go now?”
“No! I have orders!”
“But I’m just an innocent bystander.”
“That’s what you would like us to think!”
“Look, I don’t know what I did to upset the wizard mafia, but as you can see this building is on fire and I want to leave.”
“You’re one of them! I can tell by your aura!”
“Look, I’m not a member of some rival wizard crime syndicate. In fact, I’m not even a wizard.”
“I know you’re not a wizard, you’re a—“
The wizard’s words were cut short by a blow to the head administered by a firefighter who had come to rescue civilians trapped inside the blazing Tama-Mart. She briefly gestured to Piter to come with her, and then she picked up the unconscious wizard and made a break for the exit. Piter followed, glad to finally get out of the store.
Outside, the rain was coming down hard. Amongst the frightened civilians were firefighters putting out the flames. There were police too, arresting a few wizards who had left the building through the front. Piter wondered why the wizards weren’t making any effort to fight back. News reporters were already buzzing around the scene, interviewing some of the police. All of the noise and chaos combined with the crackle of the fire behind Piter was really giving him a headache.
“This is some pretty crazy stuff, isn’t it?” said Piter’s savior in a casual manner while letting the unconscious wizard flop to the ground.
“Yeah… Wait, Ana? Is that you?”
The Chantotchi that Piter had identified as Ana took off her helmet and fixed her ears, which had been somewhat flattened under the helmet. “Yeah. What, you didn’t recognize me?”
“Sorry. I was preoccupied with not dying.”
“If that was the case, then you would’ve got outta there before those robed weirdoes tried to roast you like a Christmas-day turkey.”
“Oh yeah, they’re wizards.”
“Pft, you really believe they were using magic? They’re probably just a bunch of nerds who got a hold of some gizmos or something.”
“And where would they’ve possibly gotten things like that?”
“What? Are you saying that magic is real? Really?”
Just as Piter was about to respond, Chance ran towards them, looking elated.
“Piter! You’re not dead!” said Chance.
“Yeah, I’m not.”
“But you don’t have groceries. Seriously, with all the craziness going down here, you could have made off with some free food.”
“I’m not going to steal food! Even if the authorities are too busy with the wizard mafia to care!”
“Wizard mafia?”
“I’m serious. One of those guys was going to kill me because of something about his ‘business.’”
“Dude. That’s crazy. Do you owe someone money or something?”
“Guys, I know anyone would want to stand in front of a burning superstore and have a friendly little chat about wizardly mafia guys, but you should probably get out of here so the rest of us can work,” said Ana.
“Okay. See you later,” said Piter.
Piter and Chance started walking back to the car. It seemed to Piter that the all the noise was louder than it should’ve been and the rain was colder than normal. Chance looked up at the sky and asked Piter, “Hey, you know that ‘Psionic Paladin?’ The super-hero? Don’t you think this would have been a great place to show up and fight some crime?”
Piter just shrugged and said, “Why does that matter?” Then, thinking of Ana, he added, “All the real heroes are over there actually doing something useful.”
“You know, there’s actually evidence that he is real. There have been videos recorded of him. I’ve seen some of them on the news a few times. He’s actually managed to stop a few muggings and burglaries too.”
“Yeah. But he sure didn’t stop these wizards from blowing up an entire store.”
“Hmm… super-hero versus wizards… I wonder how that would turn out.”
They finally reached the car and got in. Piter and Chance were quiet for the entire ride, since Piter had a headache and felt like he was freezing his butt off, and Chance was daydreaming about super-heroes and wizards battling each other for supremacy. When they got home, Piter wrapped a towel around himself, plopped down on the couch, and turned on the television while Chance got a snack from the kitchen. Piter saw the wreckage and chaos on the news for a moment before he turned down the volume and started flipping through the channels. Chance sauntered on in to the living room and examined Piter, who was shivering on the couch.
“Dude, are you still cold? You’re shivering more than a dog that got stuck in a refrigerator,” said Chance, taking a seat on the other end of the couch.
“That rain was freaking cold.”
“Not really.”
“It felt cold to me.”
Chance raised an eyebrow at Piter as he reached down into the bag of potato chips that he had in his lap. “Whatever you say, man.”
