Thrice Great

Toy Store

Alternate Adapazari, Turkey, 2005 AD

A bustling magic city, filled with buildings of varying styles, from traditional Turkish style to more modern versions. People wear clothing ranging from traditional Turkish and Middle Eastern clothing to modern mortal clothing and robes. People on broomsticks and some flying vehicles zoom through the air, which smells of sweet spices.

Hermes wanders through the streets of Alternate Adapazari, in disguise, and looking for a toy store.

If he and Thoth are to start teaching Rini magic, she needs a good wand. Normal magic comes in two forms: wand magic and personal magic. Just about everyone in the Alternate world can do wand magic, provided they have a wand. Personal magic, on the other hand, is something you develop naturally and can use and control without use of a wand. Not everyone develops personal magic, though. Since Rini hasn't developed any personal magic, Hermes and Thoth have decided to just teach her wand magic for now. If she develops personal magic, they can deal with that later.

Hermes continues down the street, taking in the scene. This time of the morning, there isn't as many people, but it's still quite crowded. Street vendors and their carts line the sides of the street, selling everything from little trinkets with good luck magic attached to various types of food. Being the god of commerce, Hermes gives some of them his business. People have families to provide for, you know.

He gobbles down the food and stuffs the little trinkets into the pockets of the turquoise robe he wears. Since he is a wanted man, Hermes thought it would be a good idea to be in disguise while he is in public. The disguise only consists of the robe, a t-shirt, and jeans, but it works. Plus, he shaved his stubble off and didn't wear glasses, so as far as he knows, he looks like a total different person to people who aren't familiar with him.

After a couple more minutes of him walking the stone street, Hermes walks out into a plaza. Various stores line the perimeter of the plaza, which stretches for acres. People eat breakfast at open-air restaurants squished between the various stores.

A certain two-story storefront catches Hermes' eye, and he grins.

Uzun's Toy Emporium. Just the place he's looking for.

Upon entering, a tangle of sights and sound engulfs Hermes. All around him are aisles and aisles of various toys, with children running through them, playing with various items. Some children cry and beg their exasperated-looking parents for toys.

Hermes grimaces. At least Rini is much more well-behaved than those kids.

He begins to work his way through the aisles, looking for the child wand section. Toy airplanes that actually fly soar over his head, and kids chase them, laughing. Hermes chuckles at their antics, being a god of youth and mischief. He has no problems with children having fun, as long as they stayed away from him. He has problems with crying and screaming children, though.

Hermes whistles as he continues on his quest for the wand aisle. A doll sitting on a shelf mocks him, and he quits whistling, trying to get out of the living doll section as quick as he could. Several toy companies have gone bankrupt because of living dolls going rogue and murdering children. Even before those incidents, they've always given Hermes the creeps.

After weaving back and forth between aisles, Hermes reaches the back of the first floor. He turns around and makes his way back to the front, going through the aisles on the other side of the store.

As he approaches the front, he hears the bell of the door toll, and in walks five teenagers, all wearing black robes with the TOAL symbol on the front and back.