Win some, Lose Some

The stranger held out the small glimmering dial. “Just give it a spin and see if you can win your heart’s desire.”

Walker again looked around the crowded tavern, searching out his companions, friends who had already tried their luck.

Clarissa was at the bar, pulling coin from her newly gained bag of gold to pay for another round.

Thurman was still seated against the wall, his labored breathing finally under control. He hadn’t spoken to anyone, just waved them away when help was offered. He clutched something inside his coat protectively against his chest, a whimsical smile splayed across his face.

Darius had winked silently back from wherever he’d gone. He had looked around in terror as a mournful wail spilled from his gaping mouth. He’d turned and run out into the night.

His brother, Marius, had yet to come back from his spin.

Walker took a deep breath and reached out a finger to give the golden arrow a flick and send it spinning around and around.

Before he could commit, there was a quick flash and muted “pop” and Marius appeared. Or at least what had once been Marius.

The stench of burnt ozone scorched his nostrils. Walker could clearly distinguish between the blackened trails of electricity and jagged claw marks that had turned his friend into a broken pile of weeping flesh.

The stranger looked over. “Blue dragon perhaps?”

Walker started back stepping, his hands raising up and waving in front of him as if to ward off an attack. “Yeah…no thanks. I’m not interested. I, I should go find my friend.” With that, he turned and hurried out the door, not looking back, not seeing the stranger slowly fade into nothingness, a satisfied smirk on cold pale lips.