That's So Wizard

Chapter 20 - Eyes from Afar

It had been a couple days since the group's picnic in Peru. Since then, things had become relaxing and quiet, though eerily so, as they knew that somewhere near lurked a threat of unknown origin. They hadn't heard from Lucy either. It was a time of impatient waiting for the most part, so in the mean time, Eldrian did what he usually did—wander about.

The boy made his way along one of the downtown streets. A cool, almost blinding layer of snow covered the land while a chill remained in the air, so he brought with him a coat and scarf to avoid becoming a wizard-cicle. He wondered how the rest of his friends were dealing with things. He was fully aware that in his short life he'd already experienced plenty of oddities, but for someone like Kevin, it could be overwhelming. All he could hope was that he'd adjust over time.

Eldrian wished to enjoy the day and pass some time, so he found an antique shop and stepped inside. The first thing he noticed was the welcoming warmth that greeted him upon entry. After that, the valuable knickknacks of all varieties up and down the shelves and tables, with only a few customers populating the room.

Behind the counter was an elderly man and he smiled as Eldrian entered, so the boy returned the gesture.

"Welcome," the stranger said with surprising volume given his age. "If you need anything, just let me know. We have all sorts of curios, from geodes to insects to ancient carvings from civilizations that fell long ago."

"That sounds fun. What's that thing?" Eldrian pointed at the counter.

Under the glass was a jagged bone, and it was beside a number of other strange objects from colourful rocks to tiny skulls.

"That was something used for voodoo a long time ago by the Mayans. Do you believe that?"

He reached beneath the glass, and handed the fragment of bone for Eldrian to look over. The wizard took the offer. It did seem authentic.

"I might. Anything's possible."

"A relief to hear. People so rarely come to enjoy submerging themselves in another world. Whether it's true or not, it doesn't matter, because the fun is in the imagination. The fantasy. Does that make sense?"

"It does to me."

He exhaled with a hint of sorrow. His gaze shifted to the right—to the only others in the room. It was a boy and girl both with short blonde hair, though the latter had her hair tired back into a ponytail. From what he could tell, they were similar enough to be twins, and likely close to Eldrian's age.

"Those are my grandchildren. They help me out when they're free, which is nice, but maybe this shop was a mistake. We make just barely enough to get by. There's simply not enough customers coming in."

"Do you advertise at all?"

"Not really, no. I don't know enough about how to do that these days. I mean, I put an ad in the newspaper."

"The what?"

Before any more could be said, the door opened again, and two men with thick sweaters made their way inside. The shopkeep seemed overjoyed to see more customers, and he greeted them almost immediately. Eldrian stepped aside.

"Welcome!"

The first thing that seemed off to Eldrian was the fact that one of the two strangers remained near the exit. It didn't take long for his suspicions to grant warrant. Both of them, almost in unison, pulled pistols from their sweater front pockets and aimed them in his direction. It wasn't only him. The two burglars threatened the twins and the elderly gentleman, and they practically screamed when they issued their commands.