Hanlon Conundrum

"So how is business?" Casual chats in the middle of ruined monasteries with weird not humans is my thing.

"I have no idea." It had been a while since I'd been by the shop, I hoped it was still standing, and not burned to the ground by an angry group of jerks who decided my store was an afront to the gods or something (it hasn't happened yet, but you know just me writing that could possibly have it happen).

"So I noticed when you weren't at your store for several weeks." Hanlon at times acts like he's a regular person who has regular person things like checking up on a colleague and being dissapointed they aren't there, but he's not and so this like everything else is a charade put on for my amusement. At least Siara was too wrapped up in her anger to even see Hanlon looking out of place talking to me.

"Well I kind of got wrapped up in some insanity." He smiled.

"Clearly."

"You know all about what I was up to don't you? That's how you knew to find me here, you have some kind of weird connection to me that I'm not aware of.  What in the five fires are you Hanlon?"

"A businessman Trezlan, much like you."

"Yeah I don't believe that at all."

"Believe what you will Trezlan, but I am no more than a merchant, I have things I sell, I have things I buy, and I have things I aquire, I have to say I do it on a grander scale than you do, but ultimately, you and I, we're in the same business in a lot of ways." I hadn't noticed Siara had stopped raging, I was too wrapped up in the mystique of Hanlon to notice anything. Well other than how suddenly cold my hands felt, and how confused I was about everything (per usual). Hanlon seemed to be looking through me, not talking, just standing there. It was kind of unsettling considering the setting and his appearence in it.

"So you aren't going to say anything else?"

"Who are you talking to?" It was Siara behind me, I turned to her and then back to Hanlon to introduce them, but to my surprise he was gone. As was any trace that he was there ever. No foot steps, no indentation from where he'd been standing. I tell you it wasn't the first time I wondered if I made up Hanlon, if not for his stamped weaponry sitting on my store shelves I'd have been really worried about my sanity (what little I have left considering the circumstances).

"Myself, I'm a bit nutty if you haven't figured it out." I figured I might as well go with the obvious. Siara was all packed up, and she had an additional pack I assumed for me. It was mostly just traveling supplies, but I did notice weaponry poking out of her pack.

"We have to go, the Gods have told me where I am needed." I didn't argue with a woman just getting over her grief. Even though I'm pretty sure the "gods" in this case were her own anger fed imagination, but I'd seen her fight and didn't want to get into that kind of argument. On top of that I didn't want to hang around the ruins of a monastery full of dead people in the middle of a cold mountain. So it really was, win win.  Still What Hanlon was doing up there was a mystery to me, and still is. That kind is just my own personal insanity.