Chapter 1: An Unusual Store

Six friends walked down the busy sidewalk, clustered close together lest they get separated. With the flow of the crowd, they stood a good chance of being pushed back the way they’d come.


“This is no good.” Jake finally said. Being the tallest and broadest of them, he was in the lead, with the crowd breaking around him. While his friends huddled close behind in his wake. “If we don’t get off the street, we’ll get pushed back there.” He jerked his thumb in the direction everyone else seemed to be going.


“We never should have stayed in the park so long.” Brian complained. Tom agreed.

“You were the ones playing football and didn’t keep an eye on the time.” Serena scolded. She was Jake’s sister, tiny and blessed with a very youthful demeanor. Her two friends (and Brian and Tom’s girlfriends) laughed hard at their sheepishness. Rachel prodded Brian in the ribs before laying her head on his shoulder.

Serena turned to Jake. “You’re right though. Everyone’s going to the rock concert. We need to find someplace to wait a bit, then we can leave.””

Jake nodded. He spied an open business and made for it, apologizing to those he jostled or cut off. A few people grumbled at this, but most simply stood still a moment to let them pass after seeing him up close. Being nearly linebacker size did have some advantages, Jake mused, although he didn’t play the sport at all.

Stacy was the first behind him to reach the shop, pulling Tom in behind her. Serena, Rachel and Brian particularly leaped in before a fresh surge swept them away.

“Whew, made it!” Rachel gasped. She shook her long, raven hair playfully in a wild display to mock the rockers outside. Everyone laughed.

“Pretty good!” Serena grinned. “But you’ll have half the crowd in here, thinking you are a rock star if you keep that up!”

“Let’s not.” Jake grinned at his sister. “I’’m not in the mood for more shoving!”

“Say, where are we?” Brian asked. Everyone quieted themselves to look about. Jake peered at the rows of shelves filled with miss-matched books, pieces of unidentifiable skeletons, stones with strange symbols or runes carved into them, and lording above on one of the tallest shelves stood an abnormally large, stuffed, pink and yellow polka dot elephant next to a decrepit-looking stuffed Raven.

“I’m guessing we’re at a curio shop.” Jake said dryly.

“Gee, you think?” Serena said sarcastically,”

“Yeah. I think.” Jake replied dryly.

“Knock it off you two.” Stacy laughed.

“Let’s check this place out.” Rachel suggested. “Maybe we’’ll find something interesting while we wait.”

“Kind of hard not to.” Brian looked around while talking. “This place is full of interesting stuff.”

They split apart in pairs, investigating every nook and cranny of the store. Odd delights or vaguely unsettling curiosities revealed themselves out of dark corners or stashed between huge leather books. Strangely, there was no sign of anyone manning the register. Jake thought that very odd. Maybe he’s on lunch? He thought, and though he didn’t think it was so, it was as good an answer as any he could think of.

As he walked around the corner of one of the shelves he bumped the edge and it rocked slightly. One of the bones from the top-a claw from some unknown animal; probably a dinosaur from its size, wobbled and fell. The point buried itself in his arm, slicing the skin before something, probably extreme age, crumbled it to dust. Only a handful of chunks remained, the rest simply floated in the air, it was so fine.

“Ow!” Jake cursed slightly, holding his bleeding arm. A yelp from ahead propelled him around the corner where his sister was pulling her hand away from a long spiral horn, the edge jagged as if broken.

“What happened?” He asked.

“You startled me, and I stuck myself on this Narwhal horn.” She showed him her bleeding hand.

“You and me both.” Jake told her, showing his arm. He noted with some relief that the wound had already stopped bleeding and seemed to be in the process of scabbing over.

“Let’s find the others and then the manager.” Serena suggested.

“Sounds good.” Jake agreed.

They searched the store and found (to their surprise) at least two of their friends in another predicament. Stacy and Tom were rubbing their heads and picking up various gemstones from the floor. Above them a broken railing on one of the shelves gaped gap-toothily, a large tray upended on the floor. Jake wondered for a moment if they had been reaching for the tray when it had broken, or had been just walking beneath it. He was about to ask when he decided it didn’t really matter now.

When Jake and Serena bent over to help pick the stones up, he was startled to realize that the stones, some of which were fairly large (for gemstones), had tiny people in them. A closer look and he realized the people had thin, translucent wings or heavy butterfly wings on their backs. Also; no two were exactly alike. There were male ones and female ones, tall or short, thin or buxom, dozens of different patterns on the wings or dress. The largest stones seemed to hold the finest dressed of the people and it was two of these largest ones; a green stone the size of a strawberry and a blue one as large as its partner, that had struck Stacey and Tom on the head.

“Wonder how they managed that?” He grunted.

“Managed what?” Brian asked as he and Rachel appeared and stooped to help sweep the last of the pieces up. Jake noticed that both of them were limping.

“What happened to you two?” Tom asked.

“Looking at that array of horse shoes in the far corner. I went to pull one off and a bunch of them fell off and hit our feet.” Brian explained.

“Oh, my! Terribly sorry about that.” A new voice apologized.

Jake looked behind him and saw an old man dressed in a frayed suit similar to that of a dotty old university professor straight from nineteen-sixties Hollywood. He even looked much the part; He had a thick mane of white, wavy hair, bushy eyebrows and a trimmed white beard. From his lips there jutted a large, corn-cob pipe from which a steady stream of smoke curled up until it formed a wreath a little above the man’s head until it dissipated. He blinked apologetically at them all.

“I’ve been meaning to fix these shelves for years, but these days it’s harder for me to get as much done as I used to.”” He thumped the cane next to him for slight emphasis.
“That’s all right.” Everyone hastened to assure him. “No harm done. My fault for not catching them in time.” And far more, the words overlapping one another until they all fell silent at once, grinning at one another in mutual embarrassment.
“Well, that’s mighty kind of you.” The old man chuckled slightly “But I want to make it up to you all. I assume you’ve all found something that likes you, so how about you show me what it is and I’ll tell you about it and let you keep it.”

Jake blinked in surprise at the stranger’s strange words. Something that likes us? Let us keep it? Something wrong with that. Besides, I owe him something for destroying that dinosaur bone. Ugh, he grimaced unhappily.  I bet that must cost a fortune. He though miserably of his small salary from the general store that he worked at over summer break. It made barely enough to cover his classes, he’d probably end up sacrificing the next quarter at least to make it up.
Much to Jake’s surprise, Stacy and Tom picked up two of the gemstones—a dark blue one picked up by Tom as well as a deep green one by Stacy that caught the light in a dazzling display—while Brian and Rachel said, “Excuse us a moment.”, and went back the way they’d come. In moments they were back with two beautiful horseshoes which bore strange runes on the arched metal. Jake and Serena could only stand there feeling slightly uncomfortable, neither wanting to admit that their items were destroyed.

“Well, what about you two?” The old man asked gently. A glint of light on his chest caught Jake’s eye and he realized he could finally read the man’’s nametag: Roland.

“Well, you see,” Jake began, “I bumped your shelf back there (he pointed) and knocked over your fossil dinosaur claw. I’’m afraid it turned to dust after striking my arm.” He exhibited the cut as evidence, though he felt relieved to note that it had completely scabbed over. To his surprise, Roland turned very grave at the sight and turned to Serena.

“I broke the tip off your narwhal horn.” She told him, showing her puncture mark. “I didn’t see where the tip got to though, and I was going to find you and show you. I’m sorry.”

Roland sighed, his face turning pensive. For a few minutes he stood there, unmoving. He seemed to be arguing with himself.

“Come with me.” He said at last.

Taking them to the front of the store, he stepped behind an old, faded counter on which stood an ancient till. Not an electronic one, Jake noted in surprise, but a clunky, old, typewriter lever action till! It looked well-maintained however; the bare metal polished to a warm buttery hue, the keys in neat rows without sag or signs of much wear, the glass cleaned and only lightly scratched from years of use.

“Place your items on the table and I will tell you about them.” Roland commanded.

Shrugging at one another, they laid their burdens out on the polished wood. Roland ran his hand over the meager pile until he selected the gemstones. He held them gently in his palm, with the people inside pointed out as he began to speak.

It wasn’t harsh, his voice. Nor was it angry or even the slightest bit anger—all those emotions appeared to have left him. Instead he sounded almost…sad. Remembering something that happened long ago, Jake thought.

“These stones are not ordinary gemstones. They are prisons of memory from a time long ago. The last gasp of a dying tribe of fey spirits—what you might call fairies. They were a gentle people, full of love for Nature and the Natural Order of Things. They cared deeply for the forests, the plains, the oceans, deserts, mountains, marshes and swamps. Wherever there was life, there could be found fairies. Then their magic started to wane, tribes began disappearing. Those that remained created magic prisms from gemstones bartered from dwarves. Using their remaining strength, they sealed themselves away from the world. The stones, they said, would be the keys for unlocking a new beginning. They chose the colors that most identified with their chosen elements. Green for Earth (he indicated Stacey’s emerald stone) and blue for Water (Tom’s sapphire one). Keep them well and learn from these ancestors as you make your way in this sick world.”

He passed the stones back to their respective owners. Green for Stacey and blue for Tom. Then he turned to the horseshoes and held them up. The dim light caught on the bare metal and made it gleam in strange and unusual patterns of light.

“These are the shoes from a lovely pair of centaurs. They were sturdy folk, able to haul heavy burdens great distances without complaint. Phenomenal archers and warriors, they could shoot a target down at any distance their great bows could reach whether standing or at full gallop. But it was the stars and mathematics they loved best, as well as the orderly and logical. Their schools were greatly admired by all other folks, and many found employment as teachers and tutors. Yet they sensed some great change coming, and vanished from this Earth. They left behind only fragments of their culture to inspire, and this pair in particular were determined that their people would come again. They infused their shoes with strong magic looking for worthy people to replace them. Terrible magic,” he added grimly, “But great. It gave them some comfort, I hope, knowing that they ceased to exist the moment the shoes were made. Treat them with honor.”

Solemnly Rachel and Brian accepted the shoes. Jake didn’t think they bought the story any more than he did, but it clear the old man believed it and any hint of mockery would be a curse on that moment, he thought. He realized that Roland had turned his piercing gaze on him and Serena at last.

“And now we come to you two.” Roland murmured quietly. His gaze searched every corner of their faces, looking for…what? Jake wasn’t sure, but he did know that in his entire life he had never felt so thoroughly scrutinized. His many failings came to the forefront of his mind, and he knew he wasn’t worthy of anything, but some hint of stubbornness made him stand stoically under those terrible eyes and meet them levelly. At last Roland broke the gaze. His face was as stern as ever, but Jake thought he saw for a fleeting moment, the hint of a smile there.

“Because of the…dramatic…nature of your selections, it is vitally important you two listen to my words. The magic in you two is far stronger then in the others. What will take them longer to accomplish you two will do more quickly, and that is bad. You won’t have as much time to adjust and your resistance will be weaker. The effects will be more complete in you. Affecting body and mind far greater than any other, as the light of the next full moon will make abundantly clear.”

He paused a moment to cough and then looked right at Jake. “That claw that struck you was no dinosaur, but one small fragment of a claw from a great and ancient dragon who, in it’s great wisdom, entrusted the claw to my care until it made its selection. It has done so. You must know that dragons are armored from any mortal weapons;the myths of knights slaying dragons with normal swords and maces is poppycock.” He added with a sneer. “That doesn’t mean a dragon can’t be killed,” he cautioned, “but it is far more difficult to do so than many people guess, and a dragon’s spirit is an unusual thing. It can form a shadow of the body and even travel vast distances instantly, bringing the body along. To avoid such trifling annoyances such as their body’s deaths, dragons evolved a sort of magical camouflage similar to that of a chameleon, but far more perfect. The magic required is enough, I believe, to fuzz all electronic forms of monitoring, so do not worry about radars and such when you go invisible. They breath fire of course, but it is suffused with the dragon’s magic and will obey their will. To burn the wicked and leave the innocent untouched, things like that.”

He sighed. “But a dragon cannot change its shape. It is, and must always be, a dragon.”

He turned to Serena, letting Jake free from his stare. Jake felt weak-kneed and shaky from those terrible orbs. So ancient and powerful they seemed, full of wisdom and pain that they tore right through his armor and struck his very core. He barely had enough wits left to listen in on what he was telling his sister. Her eyes were wide and she stood rooted to the spot as he talked, nodding every now and then to show she was listening to every word he said.

“Your encounter with what you called a narwhal horn was no accident. Accidents do not happen in this shop. Rather, look upon it as fate showing you the way. Few have ever seen the unicorn’s horn, even if they find my shop. Oh yes,” he added to Serena’s disbelieving look. “That horn was no mere mortal creature, but the horn of a unicorn. Powerful creatures, they have the favor of magic itself it seems. There are very few in any plane or world that can match a unicorn’s power. Simple examples of their might include summoning a living forest to protect your glade, healing any wound or sickness, run swifter than mortal creatures can fly, or transport instantly from place to place you have seen, change from your normal form to that of a maiden or do battle with the forces of darkness and drive them back to the shadow where they belong. There’s far more they can do, of course, but that should be enough to get you started.”

He reached under the counter and pulled out a small crystal vial, cut in the shape of rhododendron flower. A clear liquid splashed around inside, shimmering with its own light like a thousand jewels. “This vial contains water from the Seeing Pool of Ancient Wisdom. A bit of a mouthful, but you can shorten it to Seeing Pool if you prefer. Simply pour the entire contents into any standing pond to turn it into a seeing pool. To re-use elsewhere, simply dip the vial back into the pool and wait a minute for the magic to fill the bottle, then stopper. It takes five years between uses however, so use it sparingly; though once used the pool is good forever.”

“Now, as for you…” he turned back to Jake. “Wait here a moment.” He turned and disappeared behind some shelves.

Everyone leaned in for a closer look at Serena’s vial. She clutched it to her breast like a precious infant, but the light spilled from her hands and made them glow with soft white light. No one dared speak, afraid of spoiling this fever dream. That’s what it had to be, Jake decided. Perhaps he was still in bed at home?

They were interrupted by Roland’s return. He was holding a great golden statue of a dragon. Rubies were its eyes, jade were its teeth, and silver its claws. All of them gazed in wonder at it. Jake was astonished when Roland simply handed it too him!

“Take this.” Roland told him. “You will have need of it soon, I’m sure.”

It felt tremendously heavy in Jake’s arm and he trembled at the thought of how much money he was probably holding.

“But, I can’t…I mean…I can’t!” he stammered out at last.

“Well of course you can.” Roland snapped. “I’m giving it too you. It’s use will become obvious later on. Don’t worry about it’s cost! Consider it a repayment on my behalf for your selections! No away with you all! The store is closed! Away, I say!”

Dazedly, Jake looked around and found himself staring on a grey street. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and only the last vestiges of its light illuminated the world. His friends stood clustered around him in a similar fog, staring stupidly up and down the street trying to figure out where they were.

“What happened?” Jake asked dumbly. He could not for the life of him remember leaving the shop.

A chorus of “I don’t know.” And “I’m not sure.” Answered him.

His bearings were slowly starting to return to him as he recognized landmarks around him and saw street signs further up the way. They were still near the park, but several blocks away from where he remembered finding the store. How on earth had he gotten there?

The heavy weight in his hand pierced his consciousness and he realized he was holding an unmarked bag, on the inside of which he could see the top of the dragon statue. A glance around him showed the others holding other bags sized for their purchases. They looked at each other, waiting to see who would break this silence first.

“Well, I guess we should find that shop again and get some straight answers, and at least purchase the stuff we can afford!” Jake said slowly.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” The others nodded.

Serena nodded too, but sighed. “There’s no way I could afford that crystal. It’s super nice, but I’m going to have to leave it back at the shop I guess.”

Jake smiled ruefully and held his bag up. “Same with this statue. It’s way to heavy to be fake. I’ve got to take it back and leave it there as well.”

He looked around. “Now, as I remember it…” Suddenly, an unexpected wave of exhaustion washed over him. He felt completely spent. Images of his warm bed and soft pillow spun through his brain, making him sleepy. He yawned.

“Actually, let’s find that store tomorrow or talk to the police. I’m so tired, let’s go home.” He managed.

The others looked surprised for a moment, before, with surprising suddenness, their faces went slack with sleep and they yawned as well. After that everyone started walking towards the street where they had parked the car. Strangely, Jake thought, he felt less tired than he had a moment before with his decision to go back to the shop. It was probably just the act of moving that kept him awake, he thought. Once he stopped he would go back to before. He hoped against hope however, that this last burst of energy would stay with him until he got them home.

Fortune smiled on him, he thought as he parked in their assigned spot at the apartment complex. They brought the bags into the apartment and placed them in their rooms as they made their way to the welcoming beds. Jake didn’t bother to undress or move back the covers before he plummeted onto his mattress. His only concession was to kick off his sneakers before rolling to the center and letting sweet oblivion claim him.