Chapter Fifteen, Zack, the Magnificent

Ruom was more than a port, it was the port. Some of the Empire's richest men owned houses in the secluded islands around the oceans of Gasca. Ruom's shape and location had made it ideal to recive their private yachts and small luxury cruisers. The town itself was built on a platform that rose the height of five men from the sandy beaches, and from its gates extended raised paths that ran down the atoll and extended into the sea. The yachts didn't stay, but the boats around the harbor definetly showed Ruom's significance.

"Welcome to port miss."
"Thank you captain, you wouldn't mind waiting for us. I anticipate needing transport back to the mainland once I'm done here."
"As you wish miss. The Juline will wait."

Alicea led her party into the town proper. The streets were crowded, a few local guards were standing around the market. Most of the activity seemed focused on a man who stood on a stage in the center.
The man there probably would have gotten the same level of attention off the stage. Most Nielda prefered a very skirts and jerkins approach to clothing. The billowing purple silk and flowing gold ribbons of his outfit, coupled with the brightly colored turban, couldn't have been hidden if he'd taken an invisibility potion. The lightly glowing Wooden staff with intricate silver inlay and set of flawless pearls the size of falcon eyes at the head floating perfectly upright beside him certainly didn't help him blend in.
But then again, he wasn't trying to blend in.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Your attention please." As the man flourished dramaticaly the riboons dangling from his arm changed from gold to a bright blue. "I am the Magnificent Zack, sorceror extraordinare." He flung his arms outward and bursts of pinkish smoke shot from his sleeves. "'But Zack' you say, 'any cunning man could wear such marvelous clothing and shoot pink smoke from his sleeves, what makes you so extreordinary?' Well my dear audience, could a mere man do this?" He lashed out at the ground and called to it "Come sprite of the earth, heed your master and show these mortals who is your master."
The street coalesced around the point he'd lashed towards. The stone formed a hand. The hand grabbed the streets around him and a fully formed stone man pulled himself from the ground. He struck a pose and roared at the crowds around him.

"That's no spirit. That's a golem."
"What scoffer speaks?"
Alicea lept up onto the stage. From here she could see that 'the Magnificent Zack' was probably only a few years older than she was.
"My name is Alicea, I've seen sprites and that isn't one."
"Perhaps a proof of its strength would change your mind. Vallen, show her the error of her judgement."
Alicea kicked the golem backwards off the stairs. The fact her foot made contact at all would prove to anyone who'd ever met a sprite just how flimsy the illusion was.
Vallen, the golem's name apparently, kept coming at her. He was clumsy but strong, no number of her blows would finish him.
"No warrior can defeat the great earth sprite Vallen. Stand aside warrior, I will tame the sprite."
"Don't bother you showmanistic fraud. I'll show you real power." She stretched her mind to the braziers sround the square. She stoked the fires and drew them to her hand. "A true earth sprite is a dryad, a spirit of trees and life not dead stone." She unleashed the flames, causing them to swirl about the golem. As they faded she saw the glint of hateful silver under its cracked skin. "Nor can they be summoned," She cupped her hand and blessed her strike with steely strength, then dug the amulet from its granite skull. The golem returned to the streets with the source of its power removed. "With a trinket."
The crowd cheered.