Dread Mage

"What do you want me to do?" Vell asked.

"You're a wizard," the elf said, "Conjure me a bar of gold."

Vell gave a decisive, "no."

"No? What do you mean: No?" She tensed up.

"That is the one thing I will not do."

"But you could?" the orc asked.

"Yes."

"I don't understand," the orc said, "why not? And then why even work if you could just magic the money right into your pocket?"

"Why do anything then? Why work, why eat, why sleep, why walk or talk? For the small things, of course. If I don't work, then why do I do anything for my existence? Why would you keep on working if you could have all the gold in the world."

"True, but can't you make an exception this one time?" The orc asked, "Even we fall on hard times, and this life does not offer opportunities that often."

"Don't beg him for money," the elf said as she shot up from her chair.

"Alright, this one time," Vell said, "but use it for anything else except for an emergency, and it will dissolve into smoke and dust. I'd need my staff for it."

"We can't just let him do magic without any kind of security," the elf said, looking to Sonder, "The girl, strange as she might look, could still just be a trick. Give her into my possession for the moment, and you can get your staff."

"What do you say, Sonder? Will you trust these fine ladies?" Vell said to her.

She nodded, and the elf grabbed her and directly put a knife to her throat.

"Just a precaution," she said.

"Bring in the staff!" The orc yelled out.

The man from before went in and gave Vell his staff, then left.

"Just one little bar, you understand," Vell said.

He pointed the staff at a table nearby and said, "Ath Ehm Cke."

The staff lit up, and then, out of nowhere, a cube of pure gold appeared.

It was as big as Sonder's hand.

The orc moved to touch it, but before Vell would warn her, she cut herself on the edges of the cube.

"Careful. It has sharp edges."

The orc looked at the cube with amazement.

"We could make hundreds of coins with this much gold," she said.

"Only if you need to," Vell added. "You can't use it to pay me for my work."

"Truly, you are a mage. We would have many tasks for one to solve for us."

"Great, if you can spare accommodations for me and my young friend here, we'll-" Vell said, but was again cut off by the elf.

"No."