3.50 – The Lunar Favor
I’ve been checking out shops I found online all day. I’m
looking for a nice gift for Destiny, but I don’t really know what she likes,
besides shoes and fashion. I know what kind of music she likes, but we can go
to a concert whenever. I’d like to get her something to use on the regular
basis, that way she’d always think of me when she used it. So far, I’ve only
managed to get things for me.
An animated book that has information on different magical
creatures and beings so I can stop guessing and being accidentally racist to
Orcs. I got a mirror that will give me compliments every day to help boost my
self-esteem. A mood ring, that can actually make me happy if I’m feeling sad. A
wallet that won’t open for anyone except the owner. A great day of shopping.
Still, I got nothing for Destiny. Then again, they say diamonds are a girl’s
best friend, and there’s a jewelry store people talk about often.
The Lunar Favor, a small jewelry store tucked into the
corner spot of a strip mall. Inside looks more like they sell trinkets than
jewelry. The Dark Elf at the counter waves gleefully as I make my way inside
and start to look around. Whatever he’s eating smells of chicken and some kind
of strong spices that are probably packing a lot of heat. He’s much more
concerned with his meal than me. A square shaped pendent catches my eye after
some browsing. It seems to be made of some kind of black stone with pieces of
gold shining through and a cloudy diamond in the center.
“Ahh, that is a good choice. Do you have an unfaithful lady
in your life,” he asks?
“No,” I answer as I twirl the pendent in my hands.
“Well you don’t need that,” he laughs.
“Why? What does it do?”
“Whoever you gift it to will fall madly in love with you, as
long as they don’t take it off.”
“That’s kind of creepy.”
“Tell me about it. I wouldn’t make anything like that.”
Two more men enter and he greats them. I recognize these
men. I saw them a few different times today in each store I visited. This area
has a lot of magic stores, and they could be touring the shops, the same way I
am. Except, they’re hitting every shop at the exact same time. I even tried to
switch up my route earlier, but they followed. I’ve been ignoring them.
Pretending I didn’t see them. I’m not sure who they are, or why they’re
following me, but I can’t help but feel I need to shake them.
“What do you suggest I get,” I ask the shopkeeper, trying
not to act strange.
“Well, who are you shopping for?”
“My girlfriend,” it still feels good being able to say that.
“Really? Just give her the money. Women be shopping, women
be shopping,” he jokes.
“I see you’re a fan of Chris Rock too,” I laugh.
“No Reggie, but he hasn’t been the same since Buddy Love,”
he laughs harder.
“Alright, alright. Enough pop culture references. What do
you really suggest? She has money so that won’t impress her.”
“Give me just a moment,” he steps from behind the counter
and makes his way behind a curtain.
He hands me a gold necklace with a jagged rainbow-colored
stone wrapped in gold. I notice some runes etched into the gold parts that hold
the stone into the pendant and it lets me know that the pendent is indeed
magical, but that’s why I came to the shop in the first place. They aren’t as
detailed or as many as the ones on the blades Destiny gifted me.
“What does it do,” I ask.
“It’s a very simple enchantment. It simply allows the wearer
to stop second guessing themselves. They follow their heart. If this girlfriend
truly loves you, don’t worry. But, if she has eyes for another perhaps I can
sell you a ring that fends off temptation,” he raises and eyebrow.
“No, I think this will be perfect. Do you have a case for
it?”
“Of course.”
The price is pretty fair considering the reviews said he
over charged for items. I’m thinking he charges whatever he wants depending on
the vibe he gets from a person. There’re no price tags on anything so he can really
do whatever he wants.
Outside I place the necklace in my car, then keep walking.
I’m curious if the men will follow me, and they do. I would be running from
these guys not to long ago. A little while less, and I would have been terrified
that I might kill another person again. Now I recognize I’ve been put into a
world where sometimes people die, and it’s okay to feel bad. If you have to
kill in self-defense, that’s better than dying without fighting. I make my way
into a random alleyway and duck behind a dumpster, sure enough my new friends
head down the alley as well. I wait until they pass me to step out behind them
and catch them by surprise.
“Why are you stalking me,” my question startles them forcing
them to turn around.
I expect an answer, I just didn’t expect it to be a
roundhouse kick to my face. I’ve been hit in the face plenty of times before,
but never kicked, and a kick hurts more, new lessons. I drop to a knee just to
recover but they don’t waste any time. Doesn’t take long before I’m on the
ground in fetal position being punched and kicked.
Elias isn’t coming to save me like when we were kids.
There’s no wererats around to lend me a hand either. I can yell Destiny’s name
all I want, and it won’t mean a thing. For the first time ever, I think I have
to save myself. The echoes come to me almost immediately, like they were meant
for me. I swing out my arms hoping to hit anything and clip something, enough
to let me stand.
“I don’t know karate or anything, but I do know how to use
these,” I try to sound cool.
They say a fight is decided in the first thirty seconds,
well this is the second round. I swing with precision trying to keep them back.
I make contact and the echo in my left hand doesn’t stick into the man’s flesh.
It cuts through his shirt, blood quickly appears on his torso. Not enough to
disembowel him but enough cuts like that, and he won’t last long. Destiny was
right, these are better for me. They aren’t as heavy and I can counter almost
every time I get hit. Each swing seems to cut just right. I’m taking a beating
but keeping my back to the wall so they can’t surround me. Don’t fall, focus on
one target at a time and don’t let them behind me. The cuts bleed, and they
hurt and they could probably stop a regular person pretty quick but these two
don’t seem to be getting tired. One of the men pauses, that’s it, the
nightmares. I take the moment to take some big swings at his chest putting him
down. The second spits some kind of blue mist in my face and grabs his fallen
partner.
When I open my eyes, the sun has set and the men are gone. Did that blue mist put me to sleep?
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