By Joseph Sullivan

“You look like you want to buy something magical.”

Reltanna Lirane, wayward wizard, turned to face the person who ran the market tent. True, she was dressed to the standards of her profession, in old shabby robes and a pointy hat, but who was this person to assume anything?

“I might,” she replied, trying to be coy. In truth, she had a problem where she would buy anything she liked, but it was the sort of habit that left her short of money, so she tried to restrain herself where possible.

The tent’s keeper looked a middle-aged woman, many years older than Reltanna, but with a paler complexion, a pair of dark spectacles that hid her eyes and a huge, voluminous head of dark brown hair. Her face was marked with what Reltanna could only assume was the hopeful smile of seeing a potential customer.

“My name is Dusamé Stonemaker,” she introduced herself. “I’m an artist, by trade. Tell me, what sort of art are you interested in?”

“Oh, uh…”

Reltanna had to stop and think about that one. Art was never exactly her specialty, and her friends had often been quick to ridicule her for her simplistic tastes, whether it be paintings, the theatre, or the written word. As far as she was concerned, she was unpretentious and simplistic, but there was a nagging insecurity there still…

“I’m an enjoyer of art, I suppose,” she replied. Noncommittal. Smart.

“Well, then do I have the selection for you!” Dusamé waved her hands around.

Reltanna looked around the tent. Surrounding Dusamé were impressive stone sculptures, each one looking like a real person, and as she looked at them closer, vividly lifelike. She must be an amazing sculptor…

“These look amazing!” Reltanna could not help herself. “How did you make these?”

“Oh, what can I say, I’m gifted,” Dusamé smiled. “It’s in my last name, after all.”

“What would you recommend?”

“Well…”

Dusamé drifted over to one of her sculptures, which looked to Reltanna to have been modelled after a great fighter, who stood tall and proud, his hands on his sword, and his eyes hardened with heroic resolve.

“This one is a fine warrior,” Dusamé said as she caressed the side of the stony face. “Strong and brave. I simply had to immortalise him!”

“Hmm, not bad…” Don’t give away the fact that you want to buy anything yet. “Would you say this is your best work?”

“My best work…that I have here now? Let me see…”

As Dusamé looked over her own work, Reltanna inspected the warrior a little more closely. This is really lifelike, she thought. It really looks like he’s ready to fight! But what would he be fighting?

Before she could finish her thought, Dusamé pointed her towards another sculpture, this one of a scrawny young woman, hunched over and with a strange expression on her stony face.

“This one here is of a thief,” Dusamé explained. “I wanted to capture an expression of horror on her face, as she was about to get more than she bargained for when she broke into a place that wasn’t hers, but…I guess I must have been a bit too hasty in my work. Still, the confusion will do. It’s actually quite delightful…”

Reltanna looked at this one a bit closer. Hang on… she started putting the pieces together in her head. Really good sculptures…some hero guy…a thief…

“You, ah…” Reltanna laughed nervously. “You really are a gifted sculptor…”

“Thanks!” Dusamé replied as she drifted amongst her own work. “I like to think my work really…well, captures things you might ordinarily overlook in people…”

Uh oh.

“Oh!” Dusamé exclaimed. “This one’s my new favourite! Look, look!”

She eagerly dragged another heavy sculpture over to Reltanna, who looked at an old man, in similar robes and a pointy hat to her, holding a book in front of him and looking up, with an image of utter horror on his face.

“I made a wizard recently!” Dusamé had a big grin on her face now. “He looks up from his book like he’s about to cast a spell, and then bam! I simply had to sculpt this one. I like to think it says something about hubris and the dangers of pitting yourself against the unknown. What do you think?”

“Uh…” Just back away slowly. “It’s great! Really!”

“I reckon this one might suit you. Are you interested in buying?”

Oh, why did she have to put it like that? “Ah, well, I’m a little tight on money at the moment…you know, buying things on sight probably isn’t my thing, but once I’ve saved some more, I’ll definitely consider coming back!”

“I see,” Dusamé’s smile grew thin. “Well, when you come back, this one might have been sold, but I’ll have some new stock very soon, I think!”

I bet you will. “Yes! Yes! New stuff! Alright, bye, nice to meet you!”

Reltanna hurried out of the tent and back into the market, where she was greeted by the loud, bustling crowd, and plenty of stalls and tents with things to purchase.

Well, I’m alive and not encased in stone, Reltanna sighed with relief. Maybe I’ll treat myself to buying whatever random things I see and like. No better way to celebrate still breathing…

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