Page 2 of Charmed

Sin Eating involved Darium being hired to eat bread and drink ale that had been placed upon the chest of a dead person who died suddenly and didn’t have the time to confess their sins. Darium would thereby take on the sins of the dead so the family of the deceased would have hope that their loved one would make it to The Haven in the afterlife instead of ending up in The Dark Abyss for all eternity. Of course, the Sin Eater was then doomed for all eternity because of it, but that had been Darium’s destiny, being the eldest Blackseed son. Or, at least, he thought so at the time. Since he married the fae, Talia-Glenn, and his Fae Queen mother showed up when they thought she was dead, his life now had new meaning. Things were different on Mura, especially his destiny which was no longer looking so dark.

“I did not steal the ring. For your information, Murk found it near the Quamm Caves and brought it to me.” Darium’s raven, Murk, swept down from the sky and landed on the table letting out a guttural cry. It strutted over to the chickens, but the fowls were too dumb to know the raven could hurt them. They curiously pecked at Murk, sending Murk flying back into the sky. “What is the problem with keeping something I found?” asked Darium.

A tsking sound came from Elric.

“What’s the matter, mage?” Darium looked at the elf from the corner of his eye. “Now you think I’m dishonorable, too?”

“First of all, stop calling me a mage,” said Elric in his quirky little voice. “Blackseed, it’s a pity you didn’t look for the owner of the ring if your bird really did find it. But what can one expect from a mere Sin Eater?”

Darium was up on his feet, ready to wring the little man’s neck.

“Sit down, Darium. Don’t let him rile you. He’s not worth it.” Zann slid a basket of slimy eggs across the table. “Here’s my bid.”

“Really, Brother?” Darium frowned. “Smelly Arcine eggs?” he said, speaking of the eggs of the snake-like creatures that inhabited the land of Mura. The eggs not only smelled foul but tasted just as bad, even when cooked. “Do you really think anyone wants them?”

“I told you, I don’t have much time to hunt anymore since I’ve taken on the position of King of Evandorm, and am also a father and husband now,” replied Zann shaking his head. “This is the best I can do.”

“Even the damn chickens don’t want to be near those stinky things, and they are used to sitting on eggs all the time.” Rhys grabbed the chickens that were wandering over to the edge of the table and pushed them back to the center.

“My turn!” Elric pulled something out of his pocket and slid it across the table.

“What’s that?” asked Darium, making a face.

“It’s a gemstone mined by the gnomes, from the Quamm Caves.”

“Gemstone? Hah!” Zann responded with a chuckle. “It looks like a simple, dirty rock to me. What are you trying to pull on us, Elric?”

“It’s better than your slimy eggs!” Elric said with a sniff. “You’re a king now, Zann. Why don’t you bet one of your gold crowns or something of real value like the rest of us?”

“Real value?” repeated Zann. “I don’t consider an old tarnished ring, two stolen chickens, and a damned rock anything of real value at all. At least my bid will fill your belly.”

“Now wait a minute. The birds aren’t stolen. I told you I’ll replace them.” Rhys picked up the rock, blowing on it and brushing it against his sleeve. “By the gods, I think it really is a gemstone like the elf said. It is shiny inside.” He held up the white stone that glittered in the sun for the others to see.

“You found that in the caves?” Darium asked in interest. His eyes shot back over to the ring he’d bet. “I can’t believe Murk didn’t bring me one of those instead.”

“There are no gemstones in the Quamm Caves.” Rhys was confident with his words. “Just natural minerals and some exotic plants, that’s all.”

“Yes, there are and this proves it. I found it there,” announced Elric proudly. “Like the rest of you, I always believed those pesky gnomes only mined stupid rocks, but now I know otherwise. And for your information, those gnomes are vicious little critters. I had to move fast and in a blur in order not to be caught.” He rubbed his backside as he spoke.

“I know what you mean,” mumbled Darium, rubbing his arm.

“Brother, I thought you said your crow found the ring near the caves, but you’ve been in the caves yourself, haven’t you?” asked Zann.

“Murk is a raven, not a crow,” Darium answered, his eyes still on his cards. “And I might have been near the entrance of the Quamm Caves, but what does it even matter?”

“You were inside the caves. Admit it. We all know the gnomes don’t come out into the sunlight,” said Rhys to prove him a liar.

“All right. So mayhap I briefly stepped inside for a minute or two, but no one can stay long with those pesky creatures living there.”

“Seriously,” the elf continued. “I had to zip away using my power to move quickly to avoid their picks and axes.”

“None of you should be stealing from the caves of the gnomes,” said Zann. “You wouldn’t like it if someone stole from your home, would you?”

“Never mind that. Elric, you must be pretty sure of winning the card game to up the bid with something so valuable,” said Darium, eyeing up the elf with suspicion.

“Lay down your cards. Everyone,” instructed Elric. “Let’s find out who won this game once and for all.”

Everyone placed their cards face up on the table. Elric let out a whoop with barely even looking at his competitors’ hands. “I won, I won,” he chimed, standing on the stump again and raising his arms up over his head, turning in a full circle.

“What? Nay, you couldn’t have won,” gasped Zann, studying the hands of cards that had been laid down.

“Let me see those cards again.” Rhys inspected the elf’s spread. “By golly, he did win. How in the name of Belcoum did you get such a good hand?” he asked, using the name that was referred to by some as the devil.

“That’s what I want to know,” said Zann, blowing a puff of air from his mouth. “You usually stink at cards, Elric. We’ve always been able to beat you.”

“Not to mention, you were losing up until we placed these last bets,” added Darium.

“I guess I’m just better at the game than you three are, after all.” Still laughing and smiling, Elric reached out to scoop up his winnings. Before he could, someone walked up behind him and their hand slapped down atop his to stop him.

“He only won because he cheated,” said a female voice.

The Blackseed brothers looked up to see a stranger. A beautiful woman with long black hair and piercing blue eyes stood behind the elf. She wore an aqua gown with long silk tippets that hung down well past her fingers. There was some sort of charm hanging from a chain around her neck with an odd design on it.

“He’s surely cheating,” the woman repeated once again. “Aren’t you, Father?”