A Night at the Shop (Open)

The sun was high in the sky, the clock having just rang 6:00. Ari De'Alma stood behind the counter of her little shop. Dealing mostly in antiquities and various "magical" trinkets and things of the sort, the shop didn't get all that much business, at least, not on that end. Mostly, the customers were tourists who were looking into some of the "voodoo" culture from the Caribbean, much to Ari's dismay at times. Her practices weren't voodoo, or hoodoo or anything of the sort, but, business was business, she supposed. Now and then she would actually get a customer who knew a little bit about magic, and she could have conversations with them occasionally. Unfortunately, she also got customers now and then who were just rude and were only there to make fun of her. Often times, they were fellow students at the local high-school. Today, she had just gotten out of class, had about an hour to relax, then headed to the shop to open up. She had a couple of séances booked tonight, as well as a couple palm readings. Nothing extravagant. Then again, she never had any big names come in or anything, after all, why would someone who was already wealthy have any desire to find out if they were going to be rich or find love? Then again, the séances were typically what brought her the biggest cash flow. After setting the sign to "Come on in, we're open!", Ari settled in behind the counter, glancing over to the curtain leading to the back room. It was far from a fancy place, but it was fairly decent.

After about twenty minutes of nothing, Ari found herself reading a book that she had on the counter, a simply book of spells, each of which that had material components. Then, she heard the familiar dinging of the bell on her door. Not surprisingly, it was some girl that she went to school with. One of the preppy and bouncy students that was undoubtedly a cheerleader, or at the very least, was popular enough that all the other "cool" kids knew her name. Ironically, Ari herself did not. Of course, she didn't much care about what this girl's name was. "Hey miss "Voodoo", what's shakin`?" Ari simply frowned and looked up to the girl. "Not much, what about you?" Ari did her best to suppress her accent, but it didn't work all that well. The girl just laughed and approached the counter, glancing down at the book, then a few of the various items that were on shelves. "I was on my way to the mall and thought I would drop in to take a look at a bunch of stuff no one would ever buy before I go to see stuff that people actually buy." The girl said with a mocking grin. Ari's expression changed from a frown to a scowl. "If all you're going to do is insult my wares, you should just get the hell out of my shop." Ari replied angrily, to which the girl laughed again and shook her head, walking back to the door. "Whatever Miss Cleo. Be careful not to make a voodoo doll of yourself. You may drop it into a cauldron or something." The girl laughed again and walked out.

Ari sighed heavily, turning the page in her book. The thought of creating a talisman in the girl's pocket was rather strong in the back of her head, but at the same time, she knew that it would be bad of her. Not very balanced in the regard of good and bad. Still, it would be fun at the least to curse her for a bit. Ari glanced down at her fingernails, studying them as she often did when she was bored. Various curses and insults ran through her head, thinking about the girl who had just shown up. The young woman began sincerely hoping that her next customers would be much more polite.

Jake had just left his college campus, still going over in his head the lecture of the day from his Mythology class. His head was going over some of the ancient creatures of myth. He had long ago read the stories of old from the Book of the Blaze Knights. One of the down sides of being in this family was realizing that your family helped to “rid the world of some of the most dangerous magical creatures this world has ever known,” the quote from the book tweaked Jake just a little bit. He understood that the weapons made from the tooth and claw, the armors made from their hides, and the potions made from their blood where often dangerous, and the creatures themselves dangerous in their own right, but still the bring extinction to a entirety of a species bugged him a little bit.

Jake approached a shop now, he walked in on occasion to the stores the sold the real magic, or was run and operated by those who knew the trade. While Jake didn’t have to aptitude for the magical arts that some of his ancestors had, he himself worked hard in order to gain the knowledge to know the ruins, and ‘Feel’ the magic flowing through an item. The bell rang as he pulled on the door. This store was one he had not seen before, but his contacts in the magical community had said that some of the things she sold where the real deal. While it bugged Jake to not carry his sword with him in public, it was a relieving thought that it was easily summoned. Upon opening the door a group of girls walked out about High School age, he hated girls who looked like they did when he was in High School, treated most people like insects, and always backstabbing each other to get who or what they want.

He took in the store. Nothing seemed to dangerous here. He didn’t see anything he though would need to be locked up in one of the Blaze Knight Vaults scattered over the world. The shop keep looked aggravated, maybe even upset. Probably by the girls who had just left. Jake didn’t let first impressions be the entirety of what he perceived, most sellers of items of the arcane arts hid the more dangerous of their wares. How was another story, some sued tech, some used back rooms or hidden compartments, other used magic, whatever hid them hid them it didn’t matter as long as it worked. Jake wondered if this shop had one of those secrets with in it.

Ari sighed to herself as the girls exited her shop, glancing down to her book again as another person came in. The young woman glanced up to see a man entering. He was likely a little older, but had a sort of regal look about it. Ari smiled politely to him as she leaned forward slightly, placing her hands gently on the counter to support herself. "Welcome. Is there anything I can help you with?" The woman asked in her smooth Caribbean accent, her smile widening slightly. Bright eyes scanned over the man, a hint of curiosity in them, and intrigue. The dress she was presently wearing (her favorite) was yellow with violet colored trim, and was rather low cut, revealing a fair amount of skin. This wasn't so much the intention, but she was far from the type of woman who was ashamed of her appearance. Ari never had any issue showing some skin, even though some disagreed with this choice.

Ari glanced around her wares, the various books, trinkets, talismans, and even dolls. It wasn't often that she had a person come in that was actually decently youthful that didn't either fit a "goth" stereotype, or was an elderly person looking for antiquities. It was in truth a little refreshing to see someone like this come into her shop. Although, it was likely just some guy looking for a Ouija board for a silly party or something. Oh well, business was business. "Anything particular you are looking for, mister?" Ari asked softly, her polite smile remaining as she straightened herself out, standing upright. The talisman around her neck was clearly visible, in direct contrast to her skin tone. A passing glance would reveal that it was intricately designed, and likely took a great deal of time and patience to make it.The talisman itself possessed a slight magical aura about it, and anyone with any true arcane knowledge would immediately recognize it as an item of no small amount of power.

Jake’s body was at an angle to the shop keep, his neck exposed to the air. With keen sight one would see the black head of a bird at the base of the neck mouth open in a cry. A person with any knowledge of mythology would know that this was a phoenix head. The mark was obviously Arcane to those who were familiar with the arts. After seeing that there was nothing of danger in the main shop, Jake turned his head and looked at the shop keep. He approached her, his boots hitting the ground, not with a stomp or step, but more of a military march. The young man’s movements and gestures where and odd mishmash. He moved with the silence of a dancer, walked with the subtlety of a soldier, and when he fought, he fought with the precision of a sword master. “If you can help me find what I am looking for, I would be disappointed, and if I don’t find what I’m looking for I would be greatly pleased,” An Enigma, wrapped in a mystery, coated in deception. Jake spoke with a very obvious American ascent, but the precision of a European Knight.

The low cut dress revealed a talisman and Jake immediately saw it for its true nature, magical, but the kind was the problem. His eyes stared at it while he puzzled it. The wrong person might get the wrong idea if they saw his gaze, and mistake it for him looking at her chest. Jake was most familiar with what he called Arcane Magic, it utilized spells, tomes, and runes. This was the European magic utilized during the middle ages. He had some experience with the Nature magic of the Celts and the Norse which was similar still utilizing runes, but focused more on long rituals, and rites, including divination, putting at peace souls, and utilizing the spirits of nature to protect and never to harm. Some of the dark Celtics from which most American “Witches” where believed to come from, utilized corrupt variants of these spells which almost always caused harm not just to the target, but to nature itself.

Alchemy and the arts of creating elixirs, and potions from both animal and plants had its strongest roots in the east, and despite his limited knowledge of the subject he knew this was not part of that line of study. Some of the older more secretive arts, like the ones from Africa those where harder to identify, and even harder still to know their risk. This was something in that category, they shared similarities to the Celtic nature magic, but felt more ancient then that, almost on the edge of Divine magic.

Judging by his attitude, his words, and how he was staring at her talisman, Ari deduced that the man had a knowledge of magic, likely a very broad knowledge of it. "My, it sounds like you do not wish to find something. Something bad, from what you're saying. So, what may I ask is it that you seek not to find?" The young woman asked curiously, arching an eyebrow as she took a couple steps around the counter. The man was very peculiar indeed. His entire persona seemed cloaked in some sort of mystery that she couldn't understand. Just who was this man? Ari could tell that he had an idea of just what her talisman was. It was true that Obeah had its roots in Africa, and became very practiced in her home of Trinidad. But then, judging by how he was eying the talisman, he considered it "dark" magic, like many others who didn't understand it did.

Ari always believed that no magic was inherently evil, just as no weapon was inherently evil. Magic, though its own essence, holding its own power, in many ways was just a tool. A weapon did not harm anyone unless the one wielding it made it do so, just as magic never harmed anyone unless the person commanding it used it to that end. Ari also believed she has a good sense of right and wrong, and as such, strives to use her magic for good purposes. However, these "good" purposes could be perceived as wrong to some, as she herself doesn't see the world in a black and white perspective of good and evil. Ari stands for balance, and that balance must always be maintained. Something told her that this man wouldn't understand that, and so, she would keep these thoughts and her mentality to herself as much as she could. That didn't mean she couldn't try and be helpful, however. Ari's smile returned as she took her talisman in her hand, her fingers tracing every intricate line and crease, caressing it gingerly as if it were the most fragile thing in her world. "It appears you know what this is? Does it trouble you?" Ari asked in her silky voice again, her eyes glancing over him, then back down to her talisman.

"Items that in the wrong hands that could be dangerous for the rest of us." Jakes Knowledge in magic may have been black and white, but even he knew that magic of a harmful nature did not have to be evil. His sword and the Phoenix mark worn by his family for instance was not evil, and yet it was meant to be harmful. It was through his training, that he learned that it should only be used in protection of himself, and more importantly the defense of others. This caused Jake to reflect on the story he was told, and was recorded in the Blaze Knights Tome, in which the Phoenix Mark was created. It was said that a member of the Blaze Knight Order, who became corrupt had captured a Phoenix and using a ritual that he had created planned to fuse the phoenix with his body. He hoped to gain immortality, and seize control of the Blaze knight's.

Unfortunately when the Blaze Knights discovered this it was to late the ritual was near complete, the Phoenix's immortality was already passed, but the Leader of the Blaze Knights pushed the man out of the circle and received the rest of the powers. To this day the man is locked up in cell designed for him, while gaining immortality he did not gain the ability to regenerate like the phoenix and thus was now an old man, who now wished more then anything to control the rest of the powers that where in his mind cheated from him. In order to make sure the powers the Blaze family had never returned the man, they continued to pass the powers on generation after generation, and the mark became a way of also denoting the Leader of the Blaze Knights. As a finely disgrace the mans name was expunged from the Blaze Knight records, his tales of glory, and the good he did removed from the records.

Jakes mind returned to the moment at hand the girls walked out from behind the counter. She held the talisman like it was a child. Make puzzled that maybe it was she that created the Pendant. Jake smiled embarrassed by the credit he was given, and in a rare feet caused his normally well spoken tounge to divert to his normal speech pattern he held when he wasn't 'on the job.' It was a more relaxed, and less serious tone. He didn't speak in riddles, instead going to straight to the point, and he didn't speak with every word caring equal weight. "You give me to much credit. Yes it troubles me, only because the magic used to create you pendant is a kind I'm not familiar with. I feel though that it borders close to that of divine, but its origins and purpose I could not say for sure without a lot of research, and I feel my libraries would have little to no information on it."