The Little Fairy stared blankly, its mouth hanging open.
"But," Ruger said, shifting tack, "although nothing in this world is absolute, you aren't a Wizard, so you can't learn this spell."
Bang!
He set his glass down on the counter as he finished speaking, and the sound jolted the Little Fairy out of its daze.
"Is there really no hope?" The Little Fairy looked up at him, sinking into dejection again.
For a moment, the only sound was the squeaking of the plump white mouse polishing a glass.
"Perhaps you could try becoming a Wizard," Serious Mouse said.
The Little Fairy froze.
Ruger was taken aback as well. He didn't think he had ever heard of a Fairy becoming a Wizard, and even one or two examples wouldn't prove much, because Fairies encompassed all sorts of beings, like the large mouse before him. They were wondrous creatures that came in every imaginable form. Some were as large as mountains, some smaller than a fingernail, and some could only live inside mirrors. Even different Fairy Kings could differ enormously, both in kind and in supernatural power. Only Fairies born in certain specific, unchanging environments might share traits resembling those of a species, such as those born on the same tree or in the same unusual patch of flowers.
By the time he had finished searching his memory for any information on Fairy Wizards and returned to his senses, the Little Fairy was still staring blankly.
It seemed to have gone completely numb.
"Become a Wizard..." it suddenly murmured.
Then it sat there in a daze, turning from a lively Little Fairy into a vacant-eyed one.
Ruger continued drinking, chatting intermittently with Serious Mouse.
The mouse was also exploring the mysteries of this strange Inn, and the Little Fairy had clearly told