‘Can I help you, young ones?’

An old decrepit woman stepped out of a dark shadow and into the dampened light. She had dark spots on her wrinkled skin and a hooked nose. Her back was severely hunched which caused her to walk with a cane.

‘Ah! The royal sisters! What an honor that you would grace this humble store with your presence! How can I be of service to you?’

As if by instinct, Clem and Rox stepped between me and the woman. There was something definitely ominous about this place, but despite the dark atmosphere, the place seemed to be thrumming with Mana.

My eyes darted around the room as I saw various small objects with trace amounts of Mana within them. My apprehension was soon replaced by giddy flutters as I saw all the raw energy that was begging to be collected in the area.

Roxanne stepped forward and offered a hand to the woman to help her walk.

‘We are just bringing a friend around the city in search of trinkets for her to bring to her home. Your store stood out to her, so we came inside.’

‘Ah! Such a precious child! I sense that the spirits are strong with her as well! A gifted little soul.’

I pouted and breathed out of my nostrils heavily as I put an odd mirror back down on a display table.

‘Hmph. I’m not that little.’

‘Ha ha. Young lady then. And I see by your last three inspections that you are not just looking for any trinket. You have a good eye. Come. Let’s go deeper into the store. I’m sure I have more…interesting items for you to peruse through. And I’m sure I have a few things that might interest the princesses as well.’

Roxanne continued to lead the woman as we walked deeper into the store. We went through a doorway that was covered by twine with a myriad of crystals tied throughout them. They clinked and even chimed as they were pushed aside.

‘Back here is where I keep my special stock. Due to the nature of my store, not many make it this far back. The competing energies around us repel most, but it also attracts more…ambitious people.’

The oppressive feeling grew more foreboding as we entered the room. Instead of a direct looming feeling, the power grew more chaotic. It ebbed and flowed like a violent sea. The crashing energies pushed down on us and threatened to consume us, and just as I would grow used to the feeling it would shift and press from another angle. Clem took a step back towards the doorway.

‘This room is odd, and Vi is clearly distressed. Let’s leave and find a more comfortable place.’

‘I assure you, princess, that this room is…safe. You just have to be on guard from the warring energies.’

I furrowed my brow and closed my eyes as I focused on conquering the energies. My stomach felt a bit queasy and Roxanne placed her hands on my shoulders to steady me.

‘Maybe Clementine is right. Vi, you don’t look so well.’

The frustration bubbled up in my gut and I stomped on the floor.

‘That’s enough of this!’

As my foot made contact with the ground, a blue runic circle appeared on the floor. The energies swirled into a mix and then calmed as the blue glow sent a gentle pulse into the air. The three other women looked at me in shock.

‘What? All that churning was making me sick to my stomach. I just ate an apple fritter and I would like to keep it down, so I used a little trick to create a control barrier, that’s all.’

‘I am confused, princesses. Am I in the presence of a god or spirit of some kind?’

Clem smiled and ruffled my hair.

‘No, just a very special little girl.’

I immediately broke away and started ruffling through the trinkets. There were so many with trace amounts of Mana in them. There were all kinds of baubles, a strange compass, a crystal scepter, rings, and jewels. I was tempted to just suck each one of them dry. I wasn't sure the sly old woman would have sensed it, though, and she would have asked us to pay for each one.

She was in the middle of showing off a tiara she claimed was blessed by a water spirit when I heard a brief flutter and a clang of metal on metal as a few objects in a crate nearby shifted suddenly. I looked inside and came across a large silver metallic fang that was over two feet long. The Mana that was in it was tainted green and came to a sharp point along the edge. The result was a magically sharpened point that was etching a deep scratch in a ruby cuff that was in the bottom of the same box.

‘Ah! I see you found something special! That is the fang of a Nagaconda. A snake-like, Class four Revenant known for its paralytic poison. They say its teeth are made from an unknown metal that is stronger than Fairyite. Its fangs can pierce through almost anything.’

My eyes gleamed as I traced the energy down the edge. I avoided the tip, but I could feel noxious energy leaking from the tip from inside.

‘Is it forgeable, and does it keep its unnatural sharpness when made into a weapon?’

‘Ah, so the little lady is interested in a weapon? I know that it is impossible to forge with normal fire, but maybe one of those Fairybond forgers could do it…as they can forge Fairyite while no one else can.’

‘Perfect, I just so happen to live by one of the best. I’ll take this.’

Clem looked at her sister with concern and then to the old lady. Roxanne came over and took the fang from my hands. She judged its weight as she looked at the tip with caution.

‘I don’t know, Vi. I’ve heard the venom in these things can be quite lethal. I’m honestly surprised that this thing is just lying around loose. One wrong move and you can find yourself pricked and in a heap of trouble.’

‘Don’t you worry, princess. The fang’s venom is a powerful paralytic, but useless without being paired with this.’

The old shopkeeper held up a teardrop green crystal with swirling forest green liquid spiraling inside. It glowed with a violent green energy that pulsed slightly. My eyes were drawn to the energy it released.

‘This is the heart of the Nagaconda. It fuels the energies in the fang to activate the venom. Without the heart and something connecting the fang to the heart, the edge is only good for… scratching up my better wears.’

The old lady began to mumble under her breath as she rubbed the etched ruby cuff with her free hand. I reach up and snatched the heart from her other hand.

‘Miss Puffin always said that green was my color! We’ll take them both!’

Clem rushed and took the heart from my hands like it was a piece of fragile glass in the hands of a toddler.

‘Vi, give me that! You don’t know how dangerous this is!’

‘Of course, I do! That’s why I want it! Imagine a sword that can cut through anything and can paralyze anything it scratches. It would be the ultimate weapon!’

‘Vi, you are clearly too young to be lugging around a dangerous artifact like this.’

‘That’s fine, right? I don’t have to carry it. Mom promised me a sword after my Naming Ceremony. So if you carry it back to the school and hand it over to her, I never have to hold on to it. Then she can use it in my sword!’

Roxanne was trying to think of a counter to my logic. She furrowed her brows hard and glared at me. I put on my biggest puppy-dog eyes and pouted as hard as I have ever pouted before.

‘Pweeeease?!’

‘Argh. Fine! But, you owe me some snuggle time tonight.’

‘Yay!’

I jumped in the air and threw my fist up in celebration. When I landed, I bumped a table and some clothes on it shifted. I reached into the pile and rummaged around for a few seconds, and then took out a hat.

‘Oh, and this too.’

The old lady looked at the black and gold witch’s hat that I held in my hands with a look of confusion. I could feel it had a faint magic aura to it, but that wasn’t why I wanted it.

‘A shabby witch’s hat? What is that even doing in here? Whatever would a swordsman want with that?’

‘It’s not for me. Clem, don’t you think this would go perfect with Mom’s costume?’

A warm smile crossed her lips as she examined the hat.

‘Ya, Vi. I think it will.’