Of Goggles and Imps

Author: Kayaara

“Beltal, pass me my arclight spanner.”

The small imp stood up lazily from its seat, arclight spanner already in his hands from idly fiddling with it. He poked Taiream’s leg with it, and she took the spanner from his hands, quickly tightening the blue goggles on her workshop table. She mumbled a quiet ‘thanks’, and the imp returned to his seat, legs up on the armrest.

“He-e-e-e-y, Taiream. Are we goin’ out today?” Beltal asked – or more like whined.

Taiream squinted at the goggles, putting the arclight spanner down and picking up her gyromatic micro-adjustor, finishing off any final touches she needed to give to her new pair of goggles. “There!” She put them on over her hair turning the dials on the side until she deemed them at the perfect setting. “What do you think of them?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just as good as your last pair. We goin’ out or not?”

Picking up the tools scattered on the table, Taiream opened the draw below the desk and shoved them all inside. Then she gathered the blueprints set out and tidied them up and away in the draw just above the tools. “I’m glad to see you’re as enthusiastic as ever about my new creation. Well – I was planning on going out. I wasn’t going to take you with me.” She walked over to her small wardrobe, picking out a simple black shirt and matching black trousers, picking from the bottom of the wardrobe some fingerless gloves.

The small imp frowned, stretching himself over the seat, letting out the loudest sigh of frustration he could muster. “But why don’t ya want me to go? I helped make those new goggles of yours!”

Taiream’s bones creaked as she swapped her outfit, the sleeves of her shirt just short enough to show the decay on her elbow; not much, but her bones were clearly showing. It was the same with her shoulders – the bones broke through her skin, precise holes in the outfit she had exactly where the bones poked through. She patted her shirt down, turning to face Beltal. “Because. I don’t think you’d want to come with me today. I’m meeting up with some people.”

“People? I love people! I can go, can I go please? Do they got money? Are you getting some money from ‘em?”

“No, they don’t have money – not for you, anyway. Do you remember Alaeryn? I’m just catching up with her.”

Beltal sat up slightly. “The elf lady? Yeah, yeah I know her! She didn’t like me, whys you going to see her now?”

Taiream came over towards the small imp, giving him a gentle flick to the nose with a bony finger. He scrunched his nose in protest. “I wish you stopped being so nosy! She’s my friend, and friends happen to see each other from time to time. Maybe you should get some of your own.”

“I happen to have all kinds of pals, thank you very much.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I do!”

“Uh-huh. Now – I’ll be off.” Taiream headed for the door, opening it and taking a step outside into the cold, chilly air. She stopped in her steps and turned her head, jaw clicking. “Don’t make a mess.” Then she closed the door behind her. As she took her steps away from the small house, she was sure she could hear something clatter and something crash.