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The Adventure Shop: Part 4

As the sun shone bright the next day, Dahlia waved Aster and the new adventures off on their journey. They chatted excitedly as they wandered down the road. 

Dahlia sighed and made her way back to her shop. She hoped her plan to get some work done before opening would still be feasible. Once in the very back of her shop, Dahlia readied her ingredients for a new spell. One that should hopefully make her shop more protected than it had been in the past. Something did not sit right with her. Dahlia continued the magic as she wished one of her frequents were in town. One last element and her shop would be protected from the ill will she suspected may come. The bell rang out catching her attention. 

The shop was locked and sealed. No one should be able to break them.

Dahlia picked up her sword and entered the front of her shop. 

A figure hidden in a bright yellow cloak was searching through the knick knacks while the spells, books, and scrolls lay scattered all over the floor.

“May I help you?” Dahlia asked.

The figure popped up from behind the shelf, “Oh yes deary! I’m looking for something you may have heard of. ‘The Polaris Moonstone’?” The woman was young and beautiful, but her voice was cold and held ages within it.

“I have read of it, but all I do have is some information I can give you on the stone.”

“I was looking for more than mere information. I know you have it! Give it to me or I will burn you and your shop to the ground. Nothing will be spared!”

“I can only give you what you need. You do not need anything from my shop. Please leave.”

“Shall I begin now?” The stranger lit her hand on fire. 

“What in the blazes of Orion’s belt are doing open so early? You should really find a hobby outside of this shop. Maybe spend a little time outside. All I am saying is, I just came into town and saw your protection spell down. Are you?” The giant man with fiery red hair paused as he came to the front as he became aware of the seemingly tense moment in front of him.

“I will be leaving Dahlia, deary. Remember our chat, huh?” The stranger walked away as Dahlia silently watched her go. 

How could she explain to Borg about what had happened? 

Dahlia walked to the back of the shop, past the spell, opened the back door, walking out to her kelm. The actions felt automatic, as if all thoughts and feelings were taken from her, and she was left void.

“Dahlia Starchild, what was that?” Borg asked, coming alongside her.

Dahlia could not form words or thoughts to describe what had happened. Instead she picked up her tools as metal striking metal rang out.

“Dahlia, if you can’t speak then maybe show me? I want to help you but I can wait until you are ready.” Borg tried to be patient, but his worry over his friend made him want to go fight the woman who stole Dahlia’s words. Silence in some instances for Dahlia was usual. The way her mind would wonder, leaving the conversation for a new idea she had, or when she contemplated what it would take to create new things for her shop. 

This silence though was not right, her eyes looked blank, her motions appearing controlled by an outside source. It was not right and made Borg angry that his friend was made in this state at that moment. 

Dahlia struck the weapon she worked on and looked into the fire. She turned away and continued her work as images began to form. 

Borg watched and heard all, now infuriated that his friend was threatened and he had let that woman walk away unharmed.

“What is the moonstone?” Borg asked.

Dahlia paused her work, “The Polaris Moonstone is the rarest form of power in legend  to exist. Many believe it is just a myth to create a desire for adventurer’s to go and look for it. It is said to have the magic that has been taken from a powerful wizard. Those who possess it will possess the wizard’s power as well.”

  “And she thinks that somehow you have it? Well clearly she doesn’t know you well. I have never heard you go on one adventure, let alone find an object as rare as that.”

“Borg,” Dahlia paused, not quite sure how to tell her friend the truth, “The Polaris Moonstone was created when I was born. Its essence is in fact magic, specifically my magic. When I was born my own body did not have enough strength to contain it, but I would be dead without it. My family was well known , well connected, and powerful. They were able to find wizards who could take my power and place it in an object. They were able to connect it to me in a way I could use my magic and stay alive. But because of the rumors started from the wizards, others came to know about the Moonstone. With that power came those who desire to use it to destroy and gain power of their own. My family was relieved of their power and went into hiding. I left to make my own way, and to protect them. My hope was that I would never be known again by who my family was and I could create a new identity. As the truth was lost overtime it was said to possess the magic of multiple powerful magic species. Though untrue my magic is very powerful, though I’ve never been able to harness it. I am weak, but my magic is not.”

“Why not give it to her and remain with the knowledge that she won’t destroy your shop?”

“More than letting her have that power, it is my life. This place,” She said looking around, “All of it, even myself is fueled by my magic. If I lose it I lose not only my shop, but I will,” She had difficulty admitting the next part to her friend who was finding out she was not who he knew her to be, “I would be lost too.” 

Dahlia looked into the fire, “I don’t know what to do. Borg, I don’t fight. I have never had a confrontation that could not be resolved in an amicable way. She said she would destroy all I had, but even if she destroyed everything, losing the Moonstone would mean I would lose far more than things that could be replaced.” 

“I will send out word for the others to return to town. We will protect you from whoever might come for you. Tonight I will go and ride for Aster. He and his adventurer’s are the closest to town. While I am gone place your spells, your traps, and fortify your shop. I will return with Aster as soon as I am able. I would also advise you to lock up for the day. No sense in leaving you or your customers vulnerable.” 

Dahlia nodded as Borg hugged her and walked away from the kelm. 

“Borg,” Dahlia said, causing Borg to turn around, “I’m afraid. This is the first time since I’ve opened my shop that I have not had the answers. That I do not have control. How do I fix this? How do I get back control and stop being afraid?” 

Borg walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder, “You do what you can and let go of what you can’t. And trust in yourself, you may not be as strong as you would like in your magic, but you have the strengths you need to get through this. Do what you know you need to do. I will be back tomorrow morning at the latest with the others. We will ensure your shop remains intact. We will make sure you stay safe.” 

Though it should be comforting, Borg’s intention to return in the morning left Dahlia feeling uncertain of the hours that were left under her sole protection. Around the shop and the kelm Dahlia began placing spells of protection, alarms, and a few knick knacks placed specifically in areas where they would go off. Learning from the prankster, she realized they could be used as weapons as well as for protection. 

Finished in the front of the shop, Dahlia looked out the window for any movement.

Her chest tightened as she once again thought about how inadequate she was for this situation. She prepared others for monsters and nemesis she was never supposed to experience. Her training with a sword was in practice, never in application. And that woman’s presence felt powerful. How could Dahlia hope to withstand anything that yellow cloaked person did? 

The gelatinous cube moving pulled her from her thoughts, “Come on my friend, you should go and be free. Come on!” Dahlia coaxed the cube out with little glasses of her special brew. It’s favorite thing so far to consume. It moved slowly, following her as they made their way to the back of her shop. One in the back it consumed two blank notebooks and a pile of unsharpened swords. 

“Fiber and iron. Guess you are getting all the vitamins you need today, huh?” Dahlia laughed to herself as they made their way outside.

Once outside the cube stalled. Unmoving, remaining absolutely still. 

“It’s okay to be scared of something different. Something new. You need to stay outside for now, but I am sure when it is safe you can come back in. Okay?” 

The cube began moving toward the woods as Dahlia watched. As soon as it was out of view she began finishing her protection spells. 

She realized as time continued that this would take her all day to place the spells where she thought they would be most needed. And to hopefully keep as much inventory as she could safe from anything the woman might do. 

As the day became evening, Dahlia only had two rooms left to cover in spells. Her upstairs living quarters and the secret basement below her shop. This held her most valuable possession. Her life and her magic. 

She descended the ladder staircase to the earthy rich environment. Sitting in a small chest on a royal blue fabric was the Polaris Moonstone. 

Beautiful and tragic in all its glory. In a way, it was like the star it was named for, it was her guiding light. It helped her find this place, build her shop, grow her intuition of what others needed, helped channel her magic, and it kept her alive. 

At the same time she was scared to lose it, she wondered what it would be like to be free from having to be tethered to it. Even in death she would be more free than she was now connected and relying on this object to keep her alive.

Dahlia placed protection spells around the basement, but no knick knacks. She did not want to risk breaking the stone. 

Looking at the moonstone once more her heart filled with longing. Something she had known since she lost everything in turn for the power and life before her. 

Would she lose it all again? Would she need to leave and create a new life if she was found out?

Now the last on her list: her upstairs living place.

Her stomach rumbled as she made her way out of the basement and up to her living space. Dahlia realized she had forgone lunch to place the spells and she was so engrossed in the task she hadn’t even realized it. This was not the first instance that had happened. 

Her home was comfortable with comfy cushioned couches made of wood and a brown material softer than leather. A material of her own design. Blankets, pillows, blank journals and  books, as well as quills and canisters of ink lay all about with no rhyme or reason to their placement. 

As organized as she kept her shop, her personal space was more of an organized mess. Clean, but definitely messy.

She started a simple dinner and while it cooked began to create the spells.

Finally, the spells were complete, she had finished dinner and set the dishes in the sink, and was resting in her bed. 

The long day made it hard for her eyes to stay awake, but her mind raced with thoughts of what might happen if the lady showed up. Should she go to sleep?

With a thought of the reprimand when the others showed up tomorrow and would find out she didn’t even try, she would not hear the end of it. 

Dahlia silenced her mind and tried to sleep.

Dahlia startled awake thinking she left the fire in the hearth going as the smell of smoke filled the room. Her eyes burned with smoke filling the air. 

“No. NO, no, no, no, no!” Dahlia screamed as she realized the lady had come and kept her promise. She grabbed a robe and wrapped it around her as she ran to see if the rest of her shop was ablaze. 

She carefully made her way downstairs to see almost everything burning. Her spells were not holding. 

Dahlia coughed as she placed part of the robe over her mouth. 

“It’s gone!” She screamed and fell to her knees as the secret door lay open. She moved through the front of her shop trying to see if the woman was still there. 

The front was up in flames that she could not see anything, she retreated to the back and ran out the door. 

With her eyes stinging and her lungs burning she felt dizzy.

She ran and fell on the grass watching the back of her shop burning and with nothing she could do. Her focus began to slip and her mind got hazy. 

They would avenge her and take the Polaris Moonstone back. 

It was okay for her to go to sleep. 

The Polaris Moonstone was gone and soon she would follow.