Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 3

The Guardian

The little bell above the door rang twice, once as the door opened and once as the door closed, and with the sound of the bell came a gust of chill air bringing with it a stray snowflake or two which chilled the front of the shop before dissipating throughout the stuffy interior.

The air itself was thick with the aromatic weight of incense and candle smoke, though Krill could hardly have known that considering that smell was not one of the senses he happened to possess. Either way it wouldn't have mattered as he was locked inside his protective climate controlled container over the Admiral's back.

He stared out through the glass staring at the shelves where strange trinkets lay in haphazard rows. He red labels for incense, talismans, tarot cards, spirit detection, and a multitude of different kind of herbs. Strange symbols hung from strings on racks and racks of unusual jewelry while small animal bones laid themselves to rest inside velvet lined boxes.

Krill had never seen anything like it. In fact he would have it more likely to see much of this in the trash rather than on a shop shelf. Walking into the store was like walking back in time in human history, despite being an alien strapped to the back of the worlds greatest and best known space ship commander.

Adam squeezed his way past a rocking chair made mostly of uncut sticks and stopped before the counter. A crystal ball was resting on the desk next to the computer and cash till, and a small skeleton, roughly human shaped sat suspended in a glass container just beside that. Adam stood there awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. They could both hear shuffling coming from a back room concealed by a beaded curtain. They waited patiently for a moment while the shuffling continued. Adam shifted.

Krill tapped the glass to allow himself out of the container, floating into the musty humidity of the shop. He floated closely next to Adam's head, "What are we doing here?" He muttered

Adam tapped his fingers against the counter, "Getting some expert advice." He glanced over at the crystal ball and frowned, "Either that or I'm about to get scammed, probably the latter, but I'm not exactly sure what else there is I can do?"

Krill looked around the shop at the strange items on the shelves.

"Who are we getting help from.:

"Er." Adam hesitated, reaching down into his pocket and unfolding the brochure, "Uh Madam Esther Toussaint."

Krill frowned at him, "The name alone sounds like a scam."

Adam huffed, "Well where else am I supposed to get help? Its not like I can walk up to just anyone and say uh hey, I think I'm haunted? At least maybe she might take me seriously, or at least pretend to. And barring that she doesn't know anything, maybe she can tell me someone who does."

Krill looked at him skeptically, "I am not even sure any of this is particularly believable. When you die you die, that's it, nothing comes after that."

Adam shook his head, "than go ahead and explain to me what you saw the other day?"

Krill opened his mouth, paused and then closed it again.

"See, you can't."

"Well I don't know what I saw, but I am sure it has some sort of rational explanation we are not thinking about."

Adam snorted, "Well when you figure it out let me know. It can't just be coincidence. I might be able to brush my dreams off as PTSD artifact, but I can't just ignore what my sister and Kimber saw."

Krill shook his head raising all four of his hands over his head, "She is a child with a developing imagination.'

"Kimber maybe, but my sister, no."